The newest exhibition at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection, will open on February 11, 2022. The exhibition will be on view to the public through May 22, 2022.
This exhibition captures the power of storytelling through artworks that express the individual perspectives of the artists, and together build the narrative of a nation. American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection is a celebration of the founding principle of American democracy, E Pluribus Unum — “Out of Many, One.” Many of the artists featured in the exhibition represent marginalized groups throughout American history including enslaved Americans, immigrants and persons with disabilities.
“American Perspectives offers visitors the opportunity to explore the extraordinary diversity of the American experience through the lens of folk artists,” Dr. Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, the George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Museum, said. “As we celebrate our 60th anniversary this year, we hope this exhibition provides an opportunity for our community to come together and reflect our collective story and the common threads that bind us in unity as Americans.”
Over 80 American folk art objects will be on view including paintings, pottery and sculpture, as well as a variety of textile works. The exhibition celebrates the heritage and craftsmanship of each work in an era where mass production and commercialization are prioritized. It is an exhibition that invites visitors to reflect on the idea that beauty and strength are founded in difference, not uniformity.
American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection exhibition has been organized by the American Folk Art Museum, New York, with support provided by Art Bridges. It was originally curated for installation at the American Folk Art Museum, February 11, 2020 through January 3, 2021, by Stacy C. Hollander, Independent Curator. Tour coordinated by Emelie Gevalt, Curator of Folk Art, the American Folk Art Museum.
To register for programming and to learn more about the Museum’s current safety guidelines, visit cummermuseum.org.
Related programming:
MEET & GREET OUR CONCOURSE GALLERY ARTIST MARY L. PROCTOR
Fri, Feb. 11 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Free with admission | No registration required
MAKE & TAKE: SKETCH YOUR STORY WITH XANA JAZMIN
Tues, Feb. 15 | 5 to 7 p.m. | Members $35, Non-Members $45 | Registration required
CLAY FOLK WITH GLENDIA COOPER
Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 | 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. | Members $150, Non-Members $190 | Registration required
ARTS & CRAFTS: A FOLKSY DINNER PARTY
Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 | 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. | Members $150, Non-Members $190 | Registration required
For more information about the Museum’s permanent collection, internally curated gallery spaces and special exhibitions, visit cummermuseum.org/visit/art. The Museum’s digital gallery experiences, virtual tours and online resources remain available to the community at cummermuseum.org/engage.
About the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
For more than 50 years, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has been committed to engaging and inspiring through the arts, gardens, and education. A permanent collection of more than 5,000 objects and historic gardens on a riverfront campus offers nearly 140,000 annual visitors a truly unique experience on the First Coast. Nationally recognized education programs serve adults and children of all abilities.
For further information, including hours, visit www.cummermuseum.org.
About Art Bridges
Art Bridges is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. The mission of Art Bridges is to expand access to American art in all regions across the United States.
Since 2017, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of nearly 170 museums of all sizes and locations to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges collection, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences.
The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices.
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By Chadd Scott
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