The Living New Deal continues to thrive despite this administration undoing much of the New Deal’s legacy. What we are witnessing is completely at odds with what FDR and the New Deal achieved and stands for. We have been closely tracking threats to New Deal art and buildings overseen by the now-gutted General Service Administration and alerting our thousands of followers to attacks on library and museum funds, social security and more through our social media, newsletters and website.
NEH GRANT: WON, LOST AND REPLACED
In December 2024 we were thrilled to learn that the Living New Deal was awarded a $150,000 grant from National Endowment for the Humanities to upgrade our massive database of New Deal sites. Then we learned that our grant had been summarily canceled by DOGE. Gratefully, a generous donor pledged a $75,000 matching grant and our supporters rose to the challenge. As a result, we are able to continue our Digital Humanities Project as planned—improving our map technology, data collection, research and public education, and creating a free and ever-expanding archive of what the New Deal left to all of us.
A VIBRANT WORKSHOP ON PUBLIC ART
In February, our Advocating for New-Deal Art (ANDA) team convened a 3-day conference on the connections between the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and the New Deal art programs that inspired it. CETA, which employed some 20,000 artists and arts support staff between1974 and 1982, has been largely forgotten. The conference, featuring artists and art historians, brought attention to what this federal investment in public art programs accomplished. Organized by the Living New Deal’s Assistant Director Mary Okin and Jacqueline Francis, professor at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco where the event was held, the conference was made possible by grants from California Humanities and the Terra Foundation for the Arts.
NEW DEAL BOOK AWARD RECALLS FEDERAL THEATER PROJECT
Filmmakers Alexis Harte and Josh Peterson presented their musical tribute to Berkeley's beloved New Deal Rose Garden at a friends’-and-family screening in March. The Living New Deal served as the fiscal sponsor for the film “Your Rose Garden”, and co-hosted the premiere event. Harte and Peterson have embarked on a new project, New Deal Spotlight, with plans to produce more short films about the New Deal and encourage young filmmakers nationwide to create videos about the New Deal sites in their communities.
NEW LND TEAM MEMBER, CHRIS SHAW
We welcome writer and historian Chris Shaw to the Living New Deal team. Chris will serve as Project Manager, providing needed assistance with administration, projects, partnerships and more. A valuable contributor to our historical and educational work, Chris holds a Ph.D. in American History from UC Berkeley,
OUR RESEARCH TEAM KEEPS ON ROLLING
Dedicated researcher Evan Kalish’s latest New Deal discovery has put our website archive over 19,000 New Deal sites. The Art Deco Kadoka School in South Dakota is still in use, looking as good as it did in 1938 when the WPA built it through its Black Hills Public Building program. Evan is now working with ChatGPT to unearth data buried in government reports that we believe may lead to many more New Deal sites.
The Living New Deal is an innovative, crowdsourced educational and research project building the most comprehensive database of New Deal public works and artwork ever assembled. Our thanks go to all who contribute site data and to Research Director Elena Ion, who reviews the hundreds of submissions and adds them to our website and digital map.
Our in-depth research in greater Los Angeles, an important part of our Digital Humanities Project, is proceeding apace with help from interns in the UCLA History Department. Many thanks to Natalie McDonald, who headed our LA research team for the last 3 years. Natalie will be is leaving for graduate study at Yale. Former intern, Lauren Davies, will take over the lead research role this Fall.
SCHOLARSHIP FUND HONORS HISTORIAN BILL LEUCHTENBURG
The William E. Leuchtenburg Fund at the University of North Carolina Press honors the preeminent writer and scholar of American history. Author of the groundbreaking Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940, published in 1963, Dr. Leuchtenburg mentored generations of students throughout his long career. The Fund, established by his family, will help publish works by early-career scholars that reflect his broad interests in American history and culture. Donations to the Fund are welcome.
Professor Leuchtenburg died in January at age 102. He was a good friend to the Living New Deal and a founding member of our Advisory Board, lending his prestige to our humble efforts. He will be sorely missed.
In February, our Advocating for New-Deal Art (ANDA) team convened 
Columbia University literature professor James Shapiro is the
t the FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. Kevin Baker, director of the Living New Deal’s New York City Chapter, did the honors.
Filmmakers Alexis Harte and Josh Peterson presented their musical tribute to Berkeley's beloved New Deal Rose Garden at a friends’-and-family screening in March. The Living New Deal served as the fiscal sponsor for 
Harte and Peterson have embarked on a new project, New Deal Spotlight, with plans to produce more short films about the New Deal and encourage young filmmakers nationwide to create videos about the New Deal sites in their communities.
We welcome writer and historian Chris Shaw to the Living New Deal team. Chris will serve as Project Manager, providing needed assistance with administration, projects, partnerships and more. A valuable contributor to our historical and educational work, Chris holds a Ph.D. in American History from UC Berkeley,
Dedicated researcher Evan Kalish’s latest New Deal discovery has put our website archive over 19,000 New Deal sites. 
Our in-depth research in greater Los Angeles, an important part of our Digital Humanities Project, is proceeding apace with help from interns in the UCLA History Department. Many thanks to Natalie McDonald, who headed our LA research team for the last 3 years. Natalie will be is leaving for graduate study at Yale. Former intern, Lauren Davies, will take over the lead research role this Fall.
The 
1932-1940, published in 1963, Dr. Leuchtenburg mentored generations of students throughout his long career. The Fund, established by his family, will help publish works by early-career scholars that reflect his broad interests in American history and culture. Donations to the Fund are welcome.
