How did the WPA Federal Art Project support Jackson Pollock?

Jackson Pollock was employed by the WPA Federal Art Project in the fall of 1935 as an easel painter.1

This role provided Pollock with essential economic security during the Great Depression, allowing him to focus on his creative development. As an easel painter under the project, he was part of a government-sponsored work-relief program that employed artists to produce works of art while preserving their professional skills. This position supported him during a formative period in his career, spanning the years leading up to 1938, during which his work was heavily influenced by his teacher Thomas Hart Benton and the expressionist vision of Albert Pinkham Ryder.12