Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States

American Folk Art Museum Explores Vernacular Art and the Construction of American Identity

April 10–September 13, 2026; reopening October 8, 2026–February 28, 2027

NEW YORK, March 3, 2026 — Mounted during the celebration of the United States semiquincentennial, Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States draws from the American Folk Art Museum’s rich collections to explore links between vernacular art and the construction of an American sense of self. Introducing visitors to the concept of “folk” as a category developed in conjunction with the art and antiques markets, this focused exhibition positions works as multilayered in their meanings, imbued with cultural significance not only by their creators but also by their collectors and subsequent owners.

“Folk Nation builds on the American Folk Art Museum’s commitment to critically examining the histories embedded within the objects we steward,” said Jason T. Busch, Becky and Bob Alexander Director & CEO. “As the country marks 250 years since its founding—and our Museum marks its 65th anniversary—this exhibition invites reflection on how art has participated in shaping ideas of nationhood, who is represented within those narratives, and how they continue to evolve.”

“Terms such as ‘folk,’ ‘nation,’ and ‘patriotism’ carry layered and sometimes contested meanings,” said Emelie Gevalt, Deborah Davenport and Stewart Stender Deputy Director & Chief Curatorial and Program Officer. “By placing historical works in dialogue with later reinterpretations, Folk Nation encourages visitors to reconsider these concepts and to recognize vernacular art as a dynamic site of cultural negotiation.”

Americans have long preserved objects as a way of telling stories about themselves. Beginning especially after the Revolutionary War and gathering momentum in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, people turned to early American objects to construct a national history and a sense of collective identity—an impulse often driven by lingering insecurity about the young nation’s perceived cultural provinciality in comparison to Europe.

Expanding on this legacy, collectors, dealers, curators, and artists have applied the term “folk art” since the early twentieth century to champion wide-ranging forms of American creative production from the 1700s onward. Covering a kaleidoscopic array of genres produced outside the academic art world—from weathervanes and trade signs to quilts, carvings, painted portraiture, and commemorative sculpture—the idea of folk art developed as a symbol of authenticity, ingenuity, independence, and patriotism, representing key values perceived to be at the heart of the culture of the United States. At the same time, these concepts were often romanticized, promoting a nostalgic and incomplete view of the nation’s past.

Folk Nation investigates this complexity. Organized around themes that have shaped American life, including family, heritage, spiritual vision, and belonging, the exhibition traces how vernacular objects have functioned as both mirror and tool: reflecting American identities while also helping to construct them.

Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States is curated by Emelie Gevalt, PhD, Deborah Davenport and Stewart Stender Deputy Director & Chief Curatorial and Program Officer, and Caroline Culp, PhD, who until recently served as the Museum’s Warren Family Assistant Curator. Culp has since been appointed Brock Curator of American Art at the Chrysler Museum of Art.

Admission to the American Folk Art Museum is always free.

Please note: Folk Nation will close on September 13, 2026 during the installation of Locating Girlhood: Place and Identity in Early American “Schoolgirl” Art. The exhibition will reopen on October 8, 2026 and remain on view through February 28, 2027.

FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS

In conjunction with Folk Nation, the Museum will present an array of both onsite and online public programs that expand on the exhibition’s exploration of vernacular art and the shaping of American identity. Weekly thematic tours led by AFAM gallery guides will invite close looking and conversation around selected works, while a monthly Community Access program, Folk Art Reflections, designed for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners, will offer facilitated discussions grounded in the exhibition’s themes (April 2, May 7, June 4, and July 2).

Programming for multigenerational audiences includes Family Days (May 2 and July 9) featuring interactive gallery activities and hands-on art-making in the Museum’s studio, as well as an Educator Open House (April 23) introducing teachers to classroom connections and curricular resources. Additional offerings will include a Writing Workshop inspired by objects on view (June 16), and Verbal Imaging and Touch Tours for visitors who are blind or have low vision (June 18 and 26, July 7, and August 11).

EXHIBITION SUPPORT

Lead support for this exhibition is provided by Catherine Loevner. Additional support is provided by Citi; Lily Auchincloss Foundation; the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the David Davies and Jack Weeden Fund for Exhibitions. Folk Nation is part of Handwork 2026, presented by Craft in America.