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The Public Works

The Public Works

From public spaces to public goods like social security, these stories reveal how the New Deal transformed life in the Bay Area more than 90 years ago, and how the tangible and intangible things it built continue to live on all around us.

FDR’s New Deal — an expansion of the federal government in response to the Great Depression of the 1930s — might feel like ancient history, especially in our current political climate. But the New Deal continues to shape our lives in the 21st century.

This series is supported in part by the Living New Deal; KALW retained editorial control.

  • Sargent Johnson's statues of Incans on llamas, in storage at Treasure Island in San Francisco
    Crosscurrents
    Public Art: Sargent Johnson left a legacy in the Bay Area
    Sheryl Kaskowitz
    In the second episode of the Public Works series, reporter Sheryl Kaskowitz uncovers treasures by Black sculptor Sargent Johnson that are hiding in plain sight in the Bay Area. It’s a legacy from the New Deal era in the 1930s, when the federal government made supporting artists and public art a priority.
  • Roses in full bloom at the Berkeley Rose Garden.
    Crosscurrents
    Public Space: New Deal history hides among the roses
    Sheryl Kaskowitz
    The New Deal was created more than 90 years ago to help the U.S. recover from the Great Depression. This first episode of "The Public Works" a series from reporter Sheryl Kaskowitz, looks at how the New Deal has shaped public space in the Bay Area and remains part of our everyday lives.