Categories
Past Exhibitions

Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum

On view October 1, 2016 through January 16, 2017

Artist unidentified, "Flag Gate", c. 1876. Jefferson County, New York, United States. Paint on wood with iron and brass. 39 1/2 × 57 × 3 ¾ in. Credit: Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York. Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill Jr. in honor of Neal A. Prince, 1962.1.1. Photo credit: John Parnell.
Artist unidentified, Flag Gate, c. 1876. Jefferson County, New York, United States. Paint on wood with iron and brass. 39 1/2 × 57 × 3 ¾ in. Credit: Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York. Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill Jr. in honor of Neal A. Prince, 1962.1.1. Photo credit: John Parnell.

This exhibition proposed reframing American folk art through the concept of “self-taught genius,” as an elastic and enduring notion whose meaning has evolved over time. The exhibition curators selected more than 100 artworks from the permanent collection of the American Folk Art Museum (New York, NY), produced in a wide range of media from the eighteenth century until the present day. Each artwork belongs to one of seven primary themes by which the exhibition is organized: Achievers, Encoders, Messengers, Improvement, Reformers, Ingenuity, and Guides. The exhibition was accompanied by a beautifully illustrated catalogue, impressive website, and multiple educational resources. 

Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum and its national tour are made possible by generous funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, as part of its 75th anniversary initiative. Tampa is the seventh and final stop on this tour. 

To learn more about the objects featured in Self-Taught Genius, please view selftaughtgenius.org