New at Folk Art: American Perspectives

Everyone has a story to tell--a life lived full of events both private and shared. Such moments are captured by American folk and self-taught artists in powerful visual narratives that offer firsthand testimony to chapters in the unfolding story of America from its inception to the present. The American Folk Art Museum's (2 Lincoln Square) newest exhibition, American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection, showcases more than seventy stellar works of folk and self-taught art from the museum's premier collection. Beautiful, diverse, and truthful, the art illuminates the thoughts and experiences of individuals with an immediacy that is palpable and unique to these expressions.

 

The artworks are organized into four sections that respond to such themes as nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunity, and legacy. Evocative visual juxtapositions and accessible contextual information further reveal the vital role that folk art plays as a witness to history, carrier of cultural heritage, and a reflection of the world at large through the eyes, heart, and mind of the artist.

 

Want to contribute to the upcoming exhibition? Just answer this one question: if you could share one anecdote about yourself, your life, or your community/communities, what would it be? Record your thoughts here and submit for a chance to share your contribution. All are welcome to participate, but the museum asks that submissions are kept brief (250 words or less).

 

American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum opens on Tuesday, February 11 and runs until Sunday, May 31. Admission to the museum is free.