Finding 73: Anti-Communism in an Art Newsletter

May 3, 2012

During the second half of the 20th century, the art world was rife with political controversy surrounding the spread of Communism. Rampant fear of anything construed as un-American resulted in an adverse reaction to modern art among conservative artist circles. In 1960, the American Artists Professional League distributed a newsletter founded by Education Information, Inc. to disseminate writings by American artists, such as Wheeler Williams and E. Merrill Root, who sought to fight the penetration of Communist ideology into American culture. This special issue of the publication was written on the subversion of art in modern times.

—Caroline LeFevre, Archives Intern