Foiled: Tinsel Painting in America opens on September 12. Organized by curator emerita Lee Kogan, the exhibition will focus on this under-recognized decorative art that was widely practiced in America from 1850 to 1890. Tinsel paintings are reverse paintings on glass with smooth or crumpled metallic foil applied behind translucent and transparent areas; when viewed in candlelight or gaslight, the effect was one of shimmering highlights. One of the great revelations of the exhibition is the way this modest technique touched upon so many aspects of American life, innovation, and culture.
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Wreath of Flowers with Portrait of Jenny Lind (detail) / artist unidentified / United States / c. 1850 / reverse painting and foil on glass with paper collage, in original gilded frame / 28 1/2 x 24 1/2 in. (framed) / American Folk Art Museum, gift of Susan and Laurence Lerner, 2009.13.3 / photo © 2006 Andy Duback
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Urn of Flowers with Blue Leaves / artist unidentified / United States / 1880–1890 / reverse painting and foil on glass with applied photograph /16 1/2 x 22 1/2 in. / American Folk Art Museum, bequest of Jean B. Krolik, 2006.6.14 / photo by Gavin Ashworth, New York
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Masterworks: A Series of Talks
Wednesday, August 1 - 6 pm
Bill Traylor
Speaker: Jeffrey Wolf, filmmaker
Wolf will revisit the world of Montgomery, Alabama, artist Bill Traylor in the light of new contextual discoveries of sources related to his works on paper. With a sneak preview of Wolf’s soon-to-be-released film, Bill Traylor.
More talks>
 
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Darger/Melville: The Debauchery of Weather, a Literary Mash-up—at the South Street Seaport Museum
Wednesday, August 22 - 7:30–8:30 pm
Speakers: Kevin Miller and Nicole Haroutunian
Performer: Josh Weinstein
Location: South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street (between Water & South Streets), New York City
The words of 19th-century New York City writer Herman Melville and 20th-century Chicago artist Henry Darger, both icons in their own right, come alive for a literary mash-up! Join curator/educator Kevin Miller, writer/educator Nicole Haroutunian, and actor Josh Weinstein for a special reading of excerpts from Darger’s weather journals and passages from Melville’s Moby-Dick. Explore the role weather played for both of these cultural figures and their work. The dramatic evening will be augmented by projections of Darger’s watercolors and Moby-Dick illustrations by artist Matt Kish.
Free
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Free Music Fridays CD-Release Party
Friday, August 3 - 5–8:30 pm
The museum is releasing its first Free Music Fridays CD. The 16-track compilation will be exclusively available at the museum for $5.00, and to celebrate we are holding a release party.
The evening's lineup of 10 performers is listed here.
Free
Wine will be available for a suggested $5.00 donation.
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Curatorial Tour
of Compass: Folk Art in Four Directions—at the South Street Seaport Museum
Tuesday, August 21 - 1 pm
Speaker: Stacy C. Hollander, senior curator, American Folk Art Museum
Location: South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street (between Water & South Streets), New York City
New York City has a rich history largely tied to its thriving harbor activities and developing urban environment. The American Folk Art Museum responds to this context with a lively sampling of artworks from the collection that speak to both the romanticism and gritty realism of the seaport district. Four themes instigate a visual dialogue about moments in the life of Schermerhorn Row and the seaport: exploration; social networking; shopping; and wind, water, and weather.
Free with museum admission
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Make It Thursday: Block Printed Tote Bags
Thursday, August 9 - 6 pm
Join museum staff in a beginners' guide to block printing. Participants will design their own prints using foam blocks and fabric paint to create one-of-a-kind tote bags.
Free for museum members;
$10 for non-members.
Includes refreshments and all materials.
Space is limited. Tickets may be purchased online.
More crafts>
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Politics NOT as Usual: Quilts With Something to Say
September 11, 2012–January 20, 2013, at the Boca Raton Museum of Art
Organized by the American Folk Art Museum
If American lore is to be believed, women have been encoding their political ideas and opinions into textiles since Betsy Ross first stitched the American flag. The exhibition "Politics NOT as Usual" applauds two centuries of women who wouldn't take no for an answer; women who used the medium of the quilt to cast their votes, comment on the political landscape, and participate in national life. Drawn from the American Folk Art Museum's collection, the quilts on view are mostly examples of "best" bedcovers, saved for use on special occasions or when company visited. In each of these textiles words and images are visual signifiers that impart a message and provoke a response on the part of the viewer. Includes the 30-foot 9/11 National Tribute Quilt.
More>
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