Features
The Ukrainian Artist Who Embroiders to Survive
"We won't be destroyed by anyone," said 85-year-old artist Maria Zarembska. "My people are present now and my people will be present forever."
Folk Art
Opinion
The Hopeful Light of the Synagogue of Gwoździec
After the devastation of the Chmielnicki Massacres, there began an outpouring of mysticism and a steadfast commitment to joy in the face of hopelessness.
Art
Five Roadside Folk Art Wonders in Rural Wisconsin
Countless displays of intense and idiosyncratic brilliance are nestled in the grassy hills of the Midwest state.
Art
How Ted Carey Rendered Queerness Through Folk Art
The late artist’s work subverts the genre’s conventions in its centering of the gay community members he knew or admired and the LGBTQ+ spaces he frequented.
Opinion
How Ukrainian Folk Art Became a Tool of Resistance Against Russia
Ukrainian people have been using folk art, music, and traditions to resist the war and foster hope.
Art
The Secretive, Ritual Objects of Masonic Groups
Though masonic fraternal groups have existed for centuries, their rites and methods have long been shrouded in secrecy.
News
Portraits by John Brewster Jr., a Prolific Deaf Painter, Gifted to American Folk Art Museum
The sought-after artist communicated with his clients through gestures or in writing.
Art
Unique Folk Art Recreates the World Before the Armenian Genocide
The models recreate a world that no longer exists.
Art
The Idiosyncratic Paintings of Maud Lewis, a Beloved Canadian Folk Artist
Lewis may have operated on, or even outside of, the fringes of the art world, but the McMichael Canadian Art Collection believes she deserves a place within its halls.
News
Folk Artist and Abolitionist Sheldon Peck to Be Honored with Historic Marker
A roadside marker in Jordan, New York, will commemorate the former home of 19th-century folk artist and abolitionist Sheldon Peck.
Art
The Vivid Violence and Divine Healing of Ex-Voto Paintings
The ex-voto painting is a Catholic folk art tradition depicting individual misfortunes that were mollified by divine intervention.
Art
The Skeletal Welsh Horse You Must Beat in a Battle of Rhymes
In the Welsh folkloric tradition of Mari Lwyd, a horse skull visits your home around Christmas, and you must best it in poetry or allow it inside.