NEW YORK, March 26, 2025 – The American Folk Art Museum announced today that longtime patrons Kendra and Allan Daniel have pledged a bequest of $1 million in support of future acquisitions of traditional American folk art. This transformative gift will significantly enhance the Museum’s collection and future exhibitions organized by the Museum.
This bequest initiates Kendra and Allan Daniel into the American Folk Art Museum’s Legacy Society, which honors friends of the Museum who have pledged to include AFAM in their estate plans and make a lasting commitment to its future. Among the honorees previously inducted into the Legacy Society include Richard Gasperi and Audrey B. Heckler.
Kendra and Allan Daniel, who previously served as a member of AFAM’s Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2016 and is currently an active member of the Museum’s Acquisitions Committee, have long been supporters of the Museum. They were instrumental in the organization of the 2016 exhibition Mystery and Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection. The exhibition explored the fascinating visual landscape of fraternal culture through the enigmatic and evocative ritual props, lodge furnishings, painted banners, and additional art and objects that were the hallmarks of these secret societies in America from the late 1700s through the early 20th century. The landmark exhibition, one of the few ever organized to examine the artistry behind American fraternal organizations, was memorialized in a richly illustrated scholarly catalog published in conjunction with the exhibition.
The exhibition was primarily composed of a major gift of works of art from the collection of Kendra and Allan Daniel, and featured almost 200 works of art. Since debuting in 2016, Mystery and Benevolence continues to enthrall the public and garner reviews in the press through traveling exhibitions to museums and institutions across the United States. It is currently on view at the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, Ohio, through May 11, 2025.
Kendra and Allan Daniel also made a promised gift to the Museum of a masterfully carved punch figure by Charles Henkel (1842 – 1915). Carved in 1870, this exceptional punch figure is distinguished by its level of detail and fullness of expression, as well as its robust presence and beautifully articulated features, set off by a vibrant paint scheme. As the only known example signed by Henkel, this punch figure also marks the first work by the artist now in the Museum’s collection and an important piece of immigrant craftsmanship in 19th century America.
Jason T. Busch, Becky and Bob Alexander Director & CEO of the American Folk Art Museum, commented: “The Daniels have built an unparalleled reputation in the field based on their decades of expertise and passion for all facets of American folk art. We are deeply grateful to Kendra and Allan for this significant bequest, which will bolster the Museum’s acquisition funds for future works for art and better position AFAM as the nation’s museum of folk and self-taught art.”
Kendra and Allan Daniel remarked on this gift: “The American Folk Art Museum holds a very special place in our hearts, and we are honored to provide this gift to ensure the Museum continues to seek out important works of traditional folk art that advance a greater understanding of folk and self-taught art across American history.”
About the American Folk Art Museum
Founded in 1961, the American Folk Art Museum is a global leader dedicated to the preservation and promotion of folk and self-taught art across time and place. Candid, genuine, and unexpected, the Museum celebrates the creativity of individuals whose singular talents have been refined largely through personal experience rather than formal artistic training. With a collection spanning 8,000 works of art from four centuries and nearly every continent, the American Folk Art Museum engages people of all backgrounds through its collections, exhibitions, publications, and public programs as the leading forum shaping the understanding and appreciation of folk and self-taught art. Thanks to the generous support of our members, patrons, and donors, admission to the Museum is always free.