Drawn from the American Folk Art Museum’s collection, Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States examines how Americans have defined themselves through the creation, collection, and transmission of vernacular objects.
In this virtual walkthrough, Emelie Gevalt, AFAM’s Deborah Davenport and Stewart Stender Deputy Director & Chief Curatorial and Program Officer, guides us through the galleries to discuss the variety and artistry of works on view, including oil paintings, drawings, needlework, and sculpture.
Focusing on objects and the stories they hold, this tour illuminates how folk art has both reflected and shaped diverse narratives of American identity from the 18th century to the present.
About the speaker
Emelie Gevalt is Deborah Davenport and Stewart Stender Deputy Director and Chief Curatorial & Program Officer at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. Her exhibitions at AFAM include the critically acclaimed What that Quilt Knows About Me (2023) and Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North (2023). Gevalt received her B.A. in art history and theater studies from Yale University, her M.A. from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, and her doctorate in art history from the University of Delaware. Her two decades of art-world experience include positions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Christie’s, New York, where she was a Vice President in the Estates, Appraisals & Valuations department.
Images
Left: William Edmondson (1874–1951), Angel, Nashville, Tennessee, 1937, Limestone 18 3/8 x 13 x 6 1/2 in. Gift of Audrey B. Heckler, 2025.14.19
Right: Situation of America, 1848, 1848, Oil on wood panel, 34 x 58 1/2 x 1 3/8 in.
Gift of Ralph Esmerian
Registration
Space is limited; advance registration is required. Please consider making a donation when you register to support ongoing virtual programming.
Instructions for joining with a Zoom link and password will be provided by email upon registration confirmation under “Additional Information.”
Closed captioning will be provided in English.
For questions or to request accessibility accommodations, please email publicprograms@folkartmuseum.org.
1:00-2:15 p.m. ET