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Artifact Road Trip - Kansas

An oil painting done in dark, muddy colors. The background shows the problems and temptations facing the youth of the time, including crime, poverty, gambling, and homelessness. Brighter colors are used in the foreground which shows young people employed at a variety of jobs provided by the NYA. At the top center of the painting is a quote from FDR: "WE CAN ILL / AFFORD TO / LOSE THE / ENERGY / AND SKILL / OF THESE / YOUNG MEN / AND WOMEN / Franklin D. Roosevelt." The painting is framed in a 4" gilt wood frame.

This painting depicting the mission of the National Youth Administration (NYA) was created in 1936 by NYA artist Alden Krider for an exhibit at the Kansas State Fair. The NYA (1935-1943) was a New Deal agency that aided young adults (ages 16 to 25) during the Great Depression. It provided vocational training and work-study assistance for high school, college, and graduate students.

Find out more about this #ArtifactRoadTrip painting on our Digital Artifact Collection: https://fdr.artifacts.archives.gov/objects/29779

Follow along each week as we feature a different artifact in our Museum Collection from each of the United States.