Recent Exhibitions
Perspectives: Forming the Figure
August 24, 2010–July 8, 2011
The idea of character is thematically relevant to a deeper exploration of traditional folk art and the work of contemporary self-taught artists, a far-reaching field that pervades a broad spectrum of American culture and reflects many different communities. This exhibition, the second installment of the “Perspectives” series organized by the museum’s education department, examines some of the many facets of figure in works from the permanent collection. From 19th-century miniatures to a larger-than-life 20th-century circus banner, the figures presented in the artworks on view serve as a sampling of the vast diversity of depictions of people in folk art.

Organized by the Education Department
Credits
“Perspectives: Forming the Figure” is supported in part by the Leir Charitable Foundations in memory of Henry J. & Erna D. Leir; the Gerard C. Wertkin Exhibition Fund; the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State’s 62 counties.