American Perspectives

This exhibition looks at the continuum of self-taught art across time and place from the earliest days of the founding of the United States to the present. Drawn entirely from the collection of the American Folk Art Museum, American Perspectives includes an extraordinary selection of paintings, sculpture, and other objects that demonstrates the diversity of American life and experiences. Each artwork is a powerful vehicle for storytelling, and this exhibition reveals the vital role folk art plays as a witness to history, marker of cultural heritage, and a reflection of the world at large through the eyes, heart, and mind of an artist. Looking at nationhood, freedom, immigration, opportunity, and legacy, this is the first presentation of folk art in the Frick's history.

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Program Information

American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection

Dates: October 15, 2022 - January 8, 2023

Location: The Frick Art Museum

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This exhibition has been organized by the American Folk Art Museum, New York, with support provided by Art Bridges.

Originally curated for installation at the American Folk Art Museum, February 11, 2020–January 3, 2021, by Stacy C. Hollander, Independent Curator. Tour coordinated by Emelie Gevalt, Curator of Folk Art, the American Folk Art Museum.

American Perspectives is also made possible by

Partners:
Bob Hernandez and Karen Blumen
Judy Horgan and Steve Pavsner

Supporters:
Nancy and Robert Barry
Ellen Still Brooks
Ms. Sue Hunter

Contributors:
Weasey and Chip Babst
Barbara and David Burstin
Mr. James P. Cassaro
Bonnie and Tom VanKirk

Friends:
Anonymous
Peegan and Mohammad Eslami
Deborah James
Cary and Richard Reed
Connie and Bob Schuetz
Dr. Janet Simon

Community Supporters:
Morton Brown and Traci Weatherford-Brown
Jean Clickner and Jon Pushinsky
Edith H. Fisher
Mary A. Navarro
Wylie Smith
Dawne Sohn and Pix Sohn
Susan F. Thomson
Betsy and Charles Watkins

Community Members:
Cynthia F. Cooley
Chloé Dixon
Mr. Chris W. Donahue and Ms. Cynthia L. Pennington
Mrs. Sandra Finley
Kathleen S. Hann
Carol M. Kolling
Sabina and Peter Rosenfeld
Sara Weeks-Gloddy

Above: John Van Reed Evans Homestead and Farmscape (detail). John Rasmussen (1828–1895), Berks County, PA, c. 1879–1886. Oil on zinc-plated tin. 26 3/8 x 35 3/8 in. Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York. Gift of Ralph Esmerian, 2005.8.15. Photo © 2000 John Bigelow Taylor.

Exhibitions landing page: Mother Sister May Have Sat in That Chair When She Lived in This House Before Me (detail). Jean-Marcel St. Jacques (b. 1972). New Orleans, Louisiana. 2014. Reclaimed wood, nails, and antique hardware on plywood. 84 x 96 in. Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York. Gift of Jean-Marcel St. Jacques, LLC, 2014.18.2. Photo courtesy of American Folk Art Museum.