In the midst of the great depression, people were put to work by the government in all kinds of public work projects; building roads, schools, dams, and other infrastructure projects. As part of the WPA (Works Progress Administration), artists of all kinds were hired to inspire the workers to pull together and help rebuild America.

In painting, a style of watercolors, now dubbed the "WPA" style, also called the "California style" arose, which showed Americans on the job. The "California Style," was established and influenced by the work of Millard Sheets, Phil Dike, Milford Zornes, and others, and has been carried on by artists who studied under them at the Chouinard Art School in Los Angeles.