American Weathervanes: The Art of the Winds

Yet another great exhibit is opening this week at the American Folk Art Museum (2 Lincoln Square) that will spotlight a unique ornament of American culture: the weathervane! American Weathervanes: The Art of the Winds, which opens on Wednesday, June 23, highlights the beauty, historical significance, and technical virtuosity of American vanes fashioned between the late seventeenth and early twentieth centuries. The exhibition will showcase a number of interesting weathervanes, including a Dove of Peace commissioned by George Washington for his home in Mount Vernon and more. It will also include wood sculptures that functioned as patterns for weathervane molds from a factory in Waltham, MA., watercolors of historic weathervanes painted for the Index of American Design, and rare archival materials that illuminate the development of the weathervane in the United States of America.

Admission to The American Folk Art Museum is free, but you must reserve you ticket ahead of time. Click here for more ticketing information.

A full-color, illustrated, 224-page publication accompanies the exhibition and is available for purchase in the American Folk Art Museum Shop. There are also a series of free, virtual programs planned in conjunction with the exhibition:  Weathervanes in Context on Tuesday, June 29; In the Studio with Brooklyn Metal Works on Tuesday, July 13; and Winds of Change | A Conversation on Art, Ecocriticism, Agriculture, and Our Changing Climate on Thursday, August 5. They are presented as part of the Museum’s Virtual Insights series, which provides fresh perspectives on the Museum, its exhibitions, and its collection.

Photo Credit: W. A. Snow Iron Works, Touring Car and Driver weathervane; photo by Adam Reich