Looking for a new New Deal

There's been a lot of talk of late about the Great Depression and how similar our current situation is to the early 30s. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything like what was created under the PWAP or the TRAP. If you don't know, in the 30s, artists were paid by a division of the Treasury Dept. to paint and sculpt and design for federal buildings and offices. Hundreds if not thousands of artists including Jackson Pollock would work to create pieces of art in their chosen medium and subject, and when a work was complete, they would turn it in to "the man" and receive a check. Some of the works were places in public places, some were stored and later destroyed. I think the motivation behind the government project was that either these artists were going to be making money from their art or they would fall into poverty and resort to crime. Yes, in essence Uncle Sam was paying for a product that he didn't really need but it served to uplift the people and make them feel neccessary as they were contributing something to the cause. I keep hearing about "shovel-ready" projects. While I agree that our national infrastructure does need some attention, I know I have some "easel-ready" projects that, once finished, would look great in a federal office, like one that is oval, for instance. So, Mr. Obama, if you're reading this, while you're rebuilding the nation's economy, don't forget about the we creative types. We could use some help too.