Exhibition

AT THE GRAND RAPIDS MUSEUM OF ART
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

American Perspectives: Stories from the American  Folk Art  Museum tells the unfolding story of America, from its inception to the present, through the work of American folk artists. Folk artists, sometimes referred to as self-taught artists, are individuals whose talents emerged from personal experience rather than formal training. Their creations are beautiful, diverse, truthful, often utilitarian, and rooted in their individual heritage or community.

The exhibition features over 70 folk art objects, from paintings and pottery, to quilts, needlework, and sculpture.  These fascinating artworks span the entirety of our nation’s history, offering firsthand testimony to the people, places, and events of our culture. The exhibition reveals both the diversity and similarity of the American experience across time and place. It reinforces how many of our society’s current issues—immigration, political turmoil, economic uncertainty, and loss of personal liberties—have been concerns in the past. Visitors will see the vital role that  folk art  plays as material evidence of American history. The artworks broaden our understanding of the United States, expanding upon and personalizing our national narrative. It gives voice to individuals outside the social mainstream. Many of the works present the perspectives of marginalized groups, such as enslaved people, immigrants, and people with disabilities.

The works are organized into four sections—Founders, Travelers, Philosophers, and Seekers—that respond to such themes as nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunity, and legacy.

Originally curated for installation at the American Folk Art Museum, February 11, 2020 – January 3, 2021, by Stacy C. Hollander, Independent Curator. Tour coordinated by Emelie Gevalt, Curator of Folk Art, the American Folk Art Museum.