Dear Friends,
We are at the threshold of what promises to be a monumental year at the American Folk Art Museum—one in which we are celebrating the Museum’s 65th anniversary as well as recognizing the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Before I share more about what is to come, I want to extend my deepest personal gratitude to all of you who supported our year-end annual appeal. I am ecstatic to report that we surpassed our fundraising goal, setting a new record in AFAM’s history! Thank you to everyone across the country who contributed. We are forever grateful for your generosity, which ensures that the stories of folk and self-taught artists continue to be told.
On May 6, we have another wonderful opportunity to support the nation’s home for folk and self-taught art at our 2026 Gala. I hope you will join me as we celebrate this milestone year. The evening promises to be extraordinary as we honor a vibrant slate of visionaries whose work echoes the heart of our mission: contemporary self-taught artist vanessa german; Broadway icon and talented quilter Harvey Fierstein; and Elizabeth V. Warren, folk art scholar, curator, collector, our outgoing Board of Trustees President, and my dear friend, for her forty-plus years of transformative leadership.
By purchasing a table or ticket, or making a financial contribution, you provide the vital support necessary for our ambitious 2026 exhibition series. This includes our spring shows, Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists and Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States, as well as our fall presentation, Locating Girlhood: Place and Identity in Early American “Schoolgirl” Art. Most importantly, your commitment allows AFAM to remain a beacon of accessibility, welcoming more than 60,000 visitors annually to our galleries free of charge and engaging tens of thousands more through our global online programs.
On the Horizon: Spring 2026
Our upcoming exhibitions, Self-Made and Folk Nation, will open to the public on Friday, April 10.
Self-Made represents the very essence of AFAM. As the nation’s premier institution for self-taught art, this exhibition reaffirms our commitment to expanding the narrative of American creativity by centering on artists’ intentions and authorship outside of academic traditions.
Folk Nation builds on our dedication to critically examining the complex histories embedded within the objects we steward. As the country marks 250 years since its founding, this exhibition invites us to reflect on how art has shaped our ideas of nationhood and who is represented within those evolving narratives.
You will be hearing more and more about these remarkable exhibitions in the coming weeks.
If you have not yet had the chance, please register for the 2026 Anne Hill Blanchard Uncommon Artists Lecture, taking place this Sunday, March 22. This year’s lecture—free and accessible online—examines three painters who captured the world through dreamlike and symbolic perspectives: Henri Rousseau, Gladys Nomfanekiso Mgudlandlu, and Lalitha Lajmi.
AFAM Across the Country
Our impact continues to reach far beyond Lincoln Square. We have fostered a significant partnership with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, lending over 30 masterworks to their recently opened exhibition America 250: Common Threads. I am just back from a whirlwind trip to Bentonville, Arkansas, for what was a joyous opening of this exhibition exploring how American artists historically foster civic participation and strengthen community relationships. I had to grab a photo with dedicated AFAM patrons Becky and Bob Alexander, along with collector, philanthropist, and Crystal Bridges founder Alice Walton (seen above).
It was exhilarating to see so many works from AFAM’s collection included in this thoughtful presentation exploring American art and civic participation. Thank you to Rod Bigelow and his team for bringing the project to life and for such a warm welcome in Bentonville.
Additionally, our recently closed exhibition, An Ecology of Quilts: The Natural History of American Textiles, was a resounding success—guests flocked to our galleries to engage with the ecological stories behind these brilliant textiles. I am delighted to announce that this exhibition will embark on a Northeast tour next year, with stops at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut; The Rockwell Museum in Corning, New York; and the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State.
The “buzz” from An Ecology of Quilts was amplified by our dynamic programming, including a fascinating conversation with fashion designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla and our recent “Blue Magic” event, which transformed the Museum into a sonic textile environment for nearly 600 guests.
Finally, I am proud to share that later this month, through the support of New York State Representative Tony Simone, AFAM will be recognized on the Assembly floor in Albany. Representative Simone and his colleagues will officially celebrate the Museum for our distinction as the #1 Best Art Museum in America, as chosen by readers of Newsweek, as well as our milestone 65th anniversary. I could not be more proud of our team and this community. While in the state capital, my colleagues and I will also meet with representatives to advocate for the vital work we do and to ensure the continued growth and support of the nation’s museum of folk and self-taught art.
It is an auspicious start to a historic year. I look forward to seeing you in the galleries in April!
With gratitude~
Jason T. Busch
Becky and Bob Alexander Director & CEO