The bead played a vital role in Pueblo Indian jewelry design, and its influence continues today in modernist American design. In these pages, featuring more than 250 breathtaking photos, renowned expert Baxter integrates her decades of research with updated findings. Beads were made in the prehistoric American Southwest by the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians, and survived into the historic era. Bead jewelry creations in shell, stone, and silver are important in the Native American jewelry marketplace. This book revisits some leading misconceptions about Pueblo jewelry-making in the existing literature. A survey of modern Pueblo jewelry innovation confirms that its design is second to none, and discusses how Pueblo design meshed with American mid-century modernist expression. Today's Pueblo jewelers, also featured here, continue to offer invention and originality.

Since its origins in 1967, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has gained worldwide recognition as a model for the research and public presentation of living cultural heritage and the advocacy of cultural democracy. Festival curators play a major role in interpreting the Festival's principles and shaping its practices. Curatorial Conversations brings together for the first time in one volume the combined expertise of the Festival's curatorial staff - past and present - in examining the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage's representation practices and their critical implications for issues of intangible cultural heritage policy, competing globalisms, cultural tourism, sustainable development and environment, and cultural pluralism and identity. In the volume, edited by the staff curators Olivia Cadaval, Sojin Kim, and Diana Baird N'Diaye, contributors examine how Festival principles, philosophical underpinnings, and claims have evolved, and address broader debates on cultural representation from their own experience. This book represents the first concerted project by Smithsonian staff curators to examine systematically the Festival's institutional values as they have evolved over time and to address broader debates on cultural representation based on their own experiences at the Festival.

Much has changed in the world of folk art since the millennium. Many of the recognized ""masters"" have died and new artists have emerged. Many galleries have closed but few new ones have opened, as artists and dealers increasingly sell through websites and social media. The growth and popularity of auction houses has altered the relationship between artists and collectors. In its third edition, this book provides updated information on artists, galleries, museums, auctions, organizations and publications for both experienced and aspiring collectors of self-taught, outsider and folk art. Gallery and museum entries are organized geographically and alphabetically by state and city.

The most prolific 20th century and contemporary Zuni jewelers established themselves by adhering to the same basic models and traditions set by their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Using silver and mosaic inlay pins, bracelets, bolo ties and other ornaments, these artisans have created many successful motifs taken from the animal kingdom, including horses and cows, insects such as butterflies and dragonflies, wild animals like deer and antelope, birds of all shapes and sizes, and humans. All of these are featured in the author's fourth book in his series on Zuni jewelry. Read sixty-five biographies of Zuni jewelry-making individuals and families, with interesting facts about their extraordinary backgrounds and explanations of their design styles and methods. Nearly 300 color photos display subtle variations that indicate a particular master's work. Detailed notes on each image include design specifics and prices.

Here are India's best-known beasts -- tiger, elephant, deer, snake... rendered by a variety of folk and tribal artists. Each of their artistic traditions conceives of the beast in distinctive ways, as original in the imagining as it is in the rendering. This handmade book is a new updated version of our classic Beasts of India, long out of print. Individually screenprinted on handmade paper, this wonderful introduction to Indian painting styles is an art and book lover's dream.

This book introduces the reader to 32 self-taught artists in the Southeastern United States. Some have already come to the attention of collectors and scholars. Many others have been unrecognized outside of their immediate neighborhoods. What they all have in common is an unquenchable desire to make art. Often defying the expectations of family and friends, they have pursued this inspiration. In many cases, these artists began to create in response to a personal crisis. Others harbored an interest in art for many years but only had the time to create following retirement. Most were initially unaware of the academic art world, either because they were unable to afford an art education or because their families considered such an aspiration impractical. These stories of perseverance, struggle and triumph illustrate the strength of the creative impulse, which is a part of us all.

Now available in paperback, Performing Englishness examines the growth in popularity and profile of the English folk arts in the first decade of the twenty-first century. In the only study of its kind, the authors explore how the folk resurgence speaks to a broader explosion of interest in the subject of English national and cultural identity. Combining approaches from British cultural studies and ethnomusicology, the book draws on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews with central figures of the resurgence and close analysis of music and dance as well as visual and discursive sources. Its presentation of the English case study calls for a rethinking of concepts such as revival and indigeneity. It will be of interest to students and scholars in cultural studies, ethnomusicology and related disciplines. -- .

Speaking with Pictures offers a path-breaking exploration of visual narratives in folk art. It foregrounds folk art's engagement with modernity by re-looking at its figurative modes and the ways in which they are embedded in mythic thought. The book discusses folk art as a contemporary phenomenon which is a part of a complex visual culture where the 'essence' of tradition is best captured in a 'new' form or medium. Each chapter picks up a theme that moves between the local and the global, thereby attempting to problematise the stereotypical view of folk artists as carriers of 'timeless tradition'. The volume provides an ethnographic account of innovations through a detailed analysis of the scroll painting tradition of the patuas of West Bengal and the Pardhan-Gond style of Madhya Pradesh, highlighting some recent attempts at inter-medium exchange in storytelling. The book will interest those in visual and popular culture in anthropology, sociology, literary criticism and folklore. It will also be of immense value to art historians, museologists, curators and NGOs working in media and communication, apart from those with a general interest in folk art.

Explore the naive art of late 19th and early 20th century shooting gallery targets, whole galleries, and arcade forms. Commonly seen on early midways and carnivals, as well as in saloons and other public places of amusement, here, in a presentation of compelling color photographs, are the rarest and most aesthetically pleasing decorative targets and arcade forms known. The progression from the world of shooting gallery and arcade forms, as well as painted American fixtures and accessories, to contemporary art and sculpture has been a natural evolution. Also featured are examples of other amusement attractions to which the visitor to the carnival, circus, or midway would have been exposed. A few European forms are included to illustrate the difference between them and American forms.

Profiles of artists and performers from around the world form the basis of this innovative volume that explores the many ways individuals engage with, carry on, revive, and create tradition. Leading scholars in folklore studies consider how the field has addressed the connections between performer and tradition and examine theoretical issues involved in fieldwork and the analysis and dissemination of scholarship in the context of relationships with the performers. Honoring Henry Glassie and his remarkable contributions to the field of folklore, these vivid case studies exemplify the best of performer-centered ethnography.

William Spratling was a U.S. educator whose artistic impact caused a successful silver jewelry industry to arise in Taxco, Mexico, in the 1940s. This book examines Spratling's Mexican work and explores how his talent attracted the attention of the U.S. Interior Department. In 1945, he was invited to create a similar program for Alaska, where it was felt that the indigenous people needed to be encouraged for their own artistic expression and economic gain. Thirty never-before-seen Alaskan models, lost for over 50 years, have been found and now are preserved at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. These and original designs for the project, made in 1949, are presented here along with Spratling's original 1945 report to the Arts and Crafts Board. Also featured are Spratling's designs that inspired a new company's formation to carry on his legacy at Taxco. Clearly, innovation in designs and inspiration for generations of new artists have risen from Spratling's work.

Speaking with Pictures is a path-breaking exploration of visual narratives in folk art. Instead of talking of the recovery of narrativity in Indian modernism through the idiom of folk art, as art critics sometimes do, this book foregrounds folk art's engagement with modernity by re-looking at its figurative modes and the ways in which they are embedded in mythic thought. It discusses folk art as a contemporary phenomenon which is a part of a complex visual culture where the 'essence' of tradition is best captured in a 'new' form or medium. Each chapter picks up a theme that moves between the local and the global, thereby attempting to problematise the stereotypical view of folk artists as carriers of 'timeless tradition'. An ethnographic account of innovations that have been taking place in the folk arts is offered through a detailed analysis of the scroll painting tradition of the patuas of West Bengal and the Pardhan-Gond style of Madhya Pradesh, highlighting some recent attempts at inter-medium exchange in storytelling, such as the use of Gond art for animation and graphic novels in the patua style.The book will interest those in visual and popular culture in anthropology, sociology, literary criticism and folklore. It will also be of immense value to art historians, museologists, curators and NGOs working in media and communication, apart from those with a general interest in folk art.

"Radical and inspiring ... Yanagi's vision puts the connection between heart and hand before the transient and commercial" - Edmund de Waal The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection. They should be natural and simple, sturdy and safe - the aesthetic result of wholeheartedly fulfilling utilitarian needs. They should, in short, be things of beauty. In an age of feeble and ugly machine-made things, these essays call for us to deepen and transform our relationship with the objects that surround us. Inspired by the work of the simple, humble craftsmen Yanagi encountered during his lifelong travels through Japan and Korea, they are an earnest defence of modest, honest, handcrafted things - from traditional teacups to jars to cloth and paper. Objects like these exemplify the enduring appeal of simplicity and function: the beauty of everyday things.

When is a fetish not a fetish? Find out in this celebration of the most misunderstood genre of Southwestern Indian carvings. From Beast Gods to Directional Guardian Spirits, this book explores the magic and mystery behind the charismatic, mostly stone, animal figures (or fetishes) skillfully carved by artists from Southwestern Pueblos. Enthusiasts will delight in the hundreds of full-color photographs. Pictures and text highlight the impressive variety of forms, materials, and traditional and contemporary styles available to collectors. This book discusses the symbolic meanings associated with these figures and explains how they are "borrowed" for use by members of non-Native American cultures. A newly revised price guide is included to help collectors orient themselves to current market values.

Presenting a study of a group of potters living in a small community in the south of Japan, this work includes a look at the problems they face in the production, marketing and aesthetic appraisal of a kind of stoneware pottery generally referred to as "mingei", or folk art. It shows how different people in an art world bring to bear different sets of values as they negotiate the meaning of "mingei" and try to decide whether a pot is "art", or mere "craft". At the same time, "Folk Art Potters of Japan" aims to reach beyond the mere study of an isolated community to trace the origins and history of "folk art" in general. By showing how a set of aesthetic ideals originating in Britain was taken to Japan, and thence back to Europe and the United States - as a result of the activities of people like William Morris, Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji - this book not only rewrites the history of contemporary western ceramics, but engages in two important discourses in contemporary anthropology: one concerned with art and aesthetics; the other with orientalism. Illustrated, and with a description of the operation of Japan's art pottery world in the afterword, "Folk Art Potters

Presenting a study of a group of potters living in a small community in the south of Japan, this work includes a look at the problems they face in the production, marketing and aesthetic appraisal of a kind of stoneware pottery generally referred to as "mingei", or folk art. It shows how different people in an art world bring to bear different sets of values as they negotiate the meaning of "mingei" and try to decide whether a pot is "art", or mere "craft". At the same time, "Folk Art Potters of Japan" aims to reach beyond the mere study of an isolated community to trace the origins and history of "folk art" in general. By showing how a set of aesthetic ideals originating in Britain was taken to Japan, and thence back to Europe and the United States - as a result of the activities of people like William Morris, Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji - this book not only rewrites the history of contemporary western ceramics, but engages in two important discourses in contemporary anthropology: one concerned with art and aesthetics; the other with orientalism. Illustrated, and with a description of the operation of Japan's art pottery world in the afterword, "Folk Art Potters

Back in print, expanded, and revised, the second edition of Navajo Pictorial Weaving is devoted to all categories of antique Navajo pictorial weaving. The second edition includes 92 new images of weavings discovered in the last three decades, many never before published or exhibited. Through these nearly 300 photos and short texts, both the novice and advanced collector can reach a better understanding of the enigmatic and unusual body of Navajo pictorial weaving. Also featured is a one-of-a-kind comprehensive chart of the Navajo ceremonial system. Offering the newest discoveries, this treasury reemphasizes that Navajo pictorial weaving is a truly American folk art. Significant pictorials are organized into eight chapters covering all major categories, including these and many others: "Birds, Flora, Fauna & Livestock," "Transportation, Technology, the Railroad and Its Influence," "Yeis, Yeibichais, and Corn Yeis," and "Kachinas, Masks, and Images from the Hopi."

More than 350 beautiful color photographs and a descriptive text depict 18th to mid-20th century Mexican devotional art including danced masks, devils and angels, santos, milagritos, retablos, and ex-votos. These religious items were used in ceremonies both at home and church, and include wood carvings, as well as clay, stone, metal, and paper items. Seven essays include a major new work by historian and scholar Gloria Fraser Giffords, who, along with Tom Pirazzini, edited the essays. Other essays are by Philip Wrench, Roberto G. Cruz Floriano, Janet Brady Esser, Martha J. Egan, and Joanna Stuhr cover ing the history, symbolism, and uses of Mexican devotional art, as well as the methods of manufacture. For historians, folk art connoiseurs, and those who have an interest in Mexican culture, this is an essential and welcome new volume.

A global history of self-taught artists advocating for a nuanced understanding of modern and contemporary art often challenged by the establishment When the art world has paid attention to makers from outside the cultural establishment, including so-called outsider and self-taught artists, it has generally been within limiting categories. Yet these artists, including many women, people with disabilities, and people of color, have had a transformative effect on the history of modern art. Responding to growing interest in these artists, this book offers a nuanced history of their work and how it has been understood from the early twentieth century to the present day. Nonconformers includes work by Henry Darger, Hilma af Klint, and Bill Traylor alongside that of many other artists who deserve widespread recognition. The book reviews how self-taught artists influenced key movements of twentieth-century art and highlights the voices of contemporary practitioners, offering new interviews with William Scott, Mamadou Cisse, and George Widener. An international group of contributors addresses topics such as the development of the Black Folk Art movement in America and l'Art Brut in France, the creative process of self-taught artists working outside of traditional studios, and the themes of figuration, landscape, and abstraction. Global in scope and with chronological breadth, this alternative narrative is an essential introduction to the genre long known as "Outsider Art."

This is the first comprehensive, scholarly study of a most fascinating aspect of American history and culture. Generously illustrated with both black and white and full-colour photos, this A-Z Encyclopedia covers every aspect of American folk art, encompassing not only painting, but also sculpture, basketry, ceramics, quilts, furniture, toys, beadwork and more, including both famous and lesser-known genres.
Containing over 600 articles, this unique reference considers individual artists, schools, artistic, ethnic and religious traditions, as well as heroes who have inspired folk art. An incomparable resource for general readers, students and specialists, it will become essential for anyone researching American art, culture and social history. In addition to profiles of painters, sculptors, carvers and lithographers, details are given on their principal works and where they can be viewed.

A reassessment of self-taught artist William Edmondson, exploring the enduring relevance of his work This richly illustrated volume reintroduces readers to American sculptor William Edmondson (1874–1951) more than 80 years after his historic solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Edmondson began carving at the onset of the Depression in Tennessee. Initially creating tombstones for his community, over time he expanded his practice to include biblical subjects, the natural world, and recognizable figures including nurses and preachers. This book features new essays that explore Edmondson’s life in the South and his reception on the East Coast in the 1930s. Reading the artist through lenses of African American experience, the authors draw parallels between then and now, highlighting the complex relationship between Black cultural production and the American museum. Countering existing narratives that have viewed Edmondson as a passive actor in an unfolding drama—a self-taught sculptor “discovered� by White patrons and institutions—this book considers how the artist’s identity and position within history influenced his life and work. Distributed for the Barnes Foundation  Exhibition Schedule: The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia (June 25–September 10, 2023)