"Mother Sister May Have Sat in That Chair When She Lived in This House Before Me," Jean-Marcel St. Jacques (b. 1972) New Orleans, Louisiana 2014 Wood, nails, and antique hardware on a plywoodbacking 8

"Mother Sister May Have Sat in That Chair When She Lived in This House Before Me," Jean-Marcel St. Jacques (b. 1972) New Orleans, Louisiana 2014 Wood, nails, and antique hardware on a plywoodbacking 8

'American Perspectives' opens at Asheville Art Museum

June 18 – September 5, 2022 @ Asheville Art Museum

"American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection" showcases over 80works of folk and self-taught art including assemblages, needlework, paintings, pottery, quiltsand sculpture. Organized by the American Folk ArtMuseum in New York, this exhibitionis on view in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall at the Asheville Art Museumthrough September 5.

Everyone has stories to tell from both the private and mutual experiences encountered throughout their lifetime. American folk and self-taught artists capture these stories in visual narratives that offer firsthand testimonies to chapters in the unfolding story of America from its inception to the present. The art illuminates the thoughts and experiences of individuals with an immediacy that is palpable and unique to these expressions. These artworks held meaning in the makers’ worlds filtered through their own perceptions.

The artworks are organized into four sections—Founders, Travelers, Philosophersand Seekers—that respond to such themes as nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunityand legacy. Evocative visual juxtapositions and accessible contextual information further reveal the vital role that folk art plays as a witness to history, carrier of cultural heritage, and a reflection of the world at large through the eyes, heartand mind of the artist.

“While the Asheville Art Museum exhibits many folk and self-taught artists, most are local to the Southeast,” says Whitney Richardson, associate curator. “'American Perspectives'adds a national voice to the conversation by adding New England, Midwestern, Southwesternand West Coast artworks that the museum could never achieve alone. The amount of creative output from folk and self-taught artists was (and still is) on a national level and this exhibition helps to put that into a clear context. Traveling to Asheville from the collection of the AmericanFolk Art Museum in New York, this exhibition will complement and expand the museum’s ongoing conversations around American history and storytelling through works of art.”

This is a ticketed exhibition. Learn more and purchase ticketsatashevilleart.org.

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 by Stacy C. Hollander, independent curator. Tour coordinated by Emelie Gevalt, Curator of Folk Art and Curatorial Chair for Collections, the American Folk Art Museum.

Category: Exhibits

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