The Facts
The National Gallery of Art has announced "Women and the Index of American Design," the first exhibition to focus on women's contributions to the New Deal-era project. The show presents some 60 watercolors by 50 women artists who participated in the Index of American Design, a federal initiative that commissioned over 18,000 watercolor renderings of American folk, decorative, and industrial art between 1935 and 1942. The National Gallery of Art became the collection's steward in 1943. Featured artists include Hal Blakeley, Rose Campbell-Gerke, Lucille Chabot, Suzanne Chapman, Dorothy Hay Jensen, Elizabeth Moutal, Selma Sandler, and Carmel Wilson.
The Signal
The exhibition sheds light on the often-overlooked role of women in a major government art project during the Great Depression. By highlighting these watercolors—which document household objects like quilts, toys, and weather vanes—the show underscores the Index's value as both an artistic achievement and a historical record of American design. For collectors and curators, the focused installation may renew interest in the Index and its artists, while also affirming the National Gallery's role as steward of this important New Deal legacy.
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- Artists: Hal Blakeley, Rose Campbell-Gerke, Lucille Chabot, Suzanne Chapman, Dorothy Hay Jensen, Elizabeth Moutal, Selma Sandler, Carmel Wilson
- People: Holger Cahill, Ruth Reeves, Romana Javitz
- Museums: National Gallery of Art
- Locations: Washington, DC
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