Exhibition

The notion of “setting” is a theme that routinely emerges as educators at the museum work with visitors in the galleries. “Perspectives: Setting the Scene in American Folk Art,” the first exhibition organized by the museum’s education department, has been shaped by the countless visitors who have come through the museum’s doors over the years. Museums are sites of inquiry and interaction; as educators, we listen carefully to visitors’ comments and questions about works of art they encounter in the galleries. This exhibition reveals the richness and diversity of American folk art in the long tradition of depicting places and provides snapshots of American life in different time periods. From cozy domestic interiors and sites of work and leisure to vast country landscapes, bustling city scenes, iconic biblical or spiritual settings, and vivid dreamscapes, the works gathered here invite contemplation and set the stage for narrative. The ideas of space and setting are thematically relevant to a deeper exploration of folk art and the work of self-taught artists, a far-reaching field that pervades a broad spectrum of American culture and reflects many different spaces and communities. We invite the viewer to consider these different types of places and discover the scenes that unfold in the works of art.

Organized by the Education Department