Active Art: 1930s
Explore the 1930s
Get inspired
Move
Create
Reflect
Introduction
You will use MMUVA (Movement with
MUsic and Visual Art), an innovative art
creation program, to create your own work
based on events of the 1930s. The
MMUVA program was inspired by the visual
art of Jackson Pollock, who got his start as a
government-employed artist in the 1930s
through the New Deal.
Before creating your own artwork, you will
explore the art of Jackson Pollock and his
peers, reasons for the New Deal, causes of
the Great Depression, and the music of the
1930s.
During this webquest, you will:
Explore abstract visual art created with music and dance, using the MMUVA
(Movement with MUsic and Visual Art) program.
Recognize art in the style of Jackson Pollock.
Describe how Jackson Pollock and other artists survived the Great Depression.
Identify causes of the Great Depression.
Identify the impact the Great Depression had on Americans.
Explore music of the 1930s.
Generate a timeline of events through the 1930s.
Create MMUVA art using inspiration from events and music of the 1930s.
Reflect on your art and describe the choices you made to create it.
Tasks
Timeline
Your group task is to develop a timeline of events.
1.As you work through the activities, keep notes on the
timeline worksheet.
2.Use your notes to create a timeline to show others
what you discovered.
3.Decide how to creatively present your timeline –
horizontally or vertically, with words and/or pictures, on
paper or some other material or using the computer,
with colors or not.
Art & Reflection
Your individual task is to develop a piece of MMUVA
art.
1.During class time, experiment with the program to see
how it works.
2.Choose music from the 1930s and a theme for your
work.
3.Reflect on the work in a paper.
Webquest Outline
What is Abstract Art?
First-time users: Click to
continue.
Returning users: Click the
link where you want to
start this time.
What is MMUVA?
Jackson Pollock
Works Progress Administration
Federal Arts Project
The New Deal
The Great Depression
Music of the 1930s
Conclusion
What is Abstract Art?
Art doesn’t have to be a realistic picture of something.
Abstract art can represent or reflect a feeling, a sound, an
image, or even a taste. It can have different meanings for
different people. It may not even have a meaning. Start
your webquest using the links below.
How do people respond to art? Watch this movie
to get some reactions.
Take a look at a slide show of abstract art pieces.
Think about your reaction to each piece. How do
the different pieces make you feel?
Read about the history of abstract expressionism.
Pay special attention to the section on Context.
What is abstract expressionism? What effect did
the 1930s have on abstract expressionism?
NEXT: How can you make abstract art?
Task notes:
• Keep track of when
things happened
for your timeline.
• Think about how
you might create
abstract art.
Home
What is MMUVA? Who
inspired it?
You will make abstract art with MMUVA, which
stands for Movement with MUsic and Visual Art.
Take a look at this video to see what MMUVA does
and how it works.
Who created MMUVA, and why? Watch this video
to learn more about its inspiration. MMUVA’s first
name was “Michael Jackson Pollock,” a play on
words between recording artist Michael Jackson and
visual artist Jackson Pollock.
During your work time, you will have time to play
with MMUVA for yourself.
NEXT: Who was Jackson Pollock?
Task notes:
• You’ll use MMUVA
to make your own
artwork at the end of
this unit.
Home
Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock was a leader of the Abstract Expressionist movement.
He developed the action/drip-painting technique.
Watch this video to see Jackson Pollock working on one of his
famous drip paintings. Notice how motion is used to create visual
art.
Pollock worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) &
Federal Arts Project (FAP) from the late 1930s through the early
’40s. See more about his life and art here.
NEXT: What were the WPA and FAP programs? Why did they exist?
Home
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was part
of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal
to decrease the unemployment rate during the Great
Depression. It existed from 1935 to 1943.
WPA employed tradesmen for various jobs, including
cleaning up local communities and the construction
of new roads, schools and libraries. Learn more
about the WPA at this here.
Visit this link to see “12 WPA Projects that Still
Exist.” Are any of these projects familiar to you?
Task notes:
• Keep track of dates
and events for your
timeline as you read.
Home
Federal Arts Project (FAP)
The FAP was developed out of the WPA to employ
artists.
Artists received $23.50/week and were expected to
produce one major piece of art within a specified
timeframe or to work a certain number of days on a
mural or architectural sculpture project.
Question for thought
• How is the FAP’s
“artistic nationalism”
different from
“abstract
expressionism”?
The FAP accounts for the largest creation of
American Art. Watch this video to learn more about
the WPA and FAP.
One important aspect of art, at this time, was artistic
nationalism. What is this? Click these links –
Rediscovering America, Work Pays America – to
learn more.
NEXT: What was the New Deal?
Home
The New Deal
To help the American people in the hard times of the
Great Depression, President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt introduced the New Deal. Learn more by
exploring the links and video below:
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Roosevelt Pushes the New Deal (video)
Task notes:
• Keep track of dates
and events for your
timeline as you read
and watch.
• Be on the lookout for
stories that might
inspire your artwork.
The New Deal
Questions for thought
• What are some things
the New Deal
promised the
American people?
NEXT: Why did America need a New Deal? (Or, what
was the Great Depression?)
• What are some
programs resulting
from the New Deal?
Home
The Great Depression: 1929-1939
Questions for thought
• Check your
worksheet for
questions about the
Great Depression.
The Great Depression affected all American
people.
Learn more about it at the following pages:
What was the historical context? The Great
Depression Begins (video)
Task notes:
• If a story makes you
feel strong emotions
(angry, happy,
hopeful, sad),
consider using it for
your artwork.
What caused the depression? The Great
Depression
Who was affected? Children and the Great
Depression, Human Meaning of the
Depression
What made it worse for some? The Dust
Bowl (video)
NEXT: Music in the 1930s
Home
Music of the 1930s
Task notes:
• Choose music from
the jukebox for your
MMUVA
composition.
• Relate your music to
a story from the
1930s.
Much of the popular music of the
1930s reflected the events and national
mood of the time.
o Explore both parts of the 1930s
jukebox (1930-34 and 1935-39).
o Listen to at least four songs from each
Task notes:
• Think about how you
might move to your
music.
part. Scroll down to read the text that
goes with each song.
o Be sure to listen to “Brother, Can You
Spare a Dime” and “Symphony in
Black.” Choose whatever others you
like.
Home
Conclusion
Through this webquest, you have learned about events from the
1930s, abstract expressionism, and Jackson Pollock.
Before you finish, have you:
1.
…completed your timeline with your group?
2.
…created your own abstract work with MMUVA?
3.
…reflected on your abstract work?
Credits
Lesson Resource:
http://www.soe.vt.edu/IDEAS/MMUVA-project.html
Lesson developed by:
Vanessa Williams
Liesl Baum
Somiah Muslimani
Phyllis Leary Newbill