Folk Art (Spring 2000) by American Folk Art Museum

FOLK ART MAGAZINE OF THE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART * SPRING 2000 * 56.0,

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529 WEST 20TH ST 3RD FL NYC 10011 T 21 2/627-481 9 F 212/627-5117 E rmgal@aol.com W www.riccomaresca.com All works by Charles A.A. Dellschau. Clockwise from upper right: 1) Untitled (4560&4562), 1920, mixed media on paper. 17.5'h x 16.5w 2) Side A Untitled (4672&4673). 1920, mixed media on paper, 19"h x 16.5"w. 3) Side B Untitled(4672&4673). 4) Untitled(4559 & 4560). 1920, mixed media on paper, 19"h x 15"w.

STEVE MILLER â&#x20AC;˘ AMERICAN FOLK ART.

A MASTERPIECE OF AMERICAN FOLK ART

Superb example of early mid-19th century pie crimper constructed of whale ivory and baleen. The human form is rarely depicted on pie crimpers. It was made at sea as a gift for a wife or mother during the long and dangerous voyage. Provenance: Norman Flayderman, New Milford, CT,Jeffrey Cohen, Washington,DC Literature:Scrimshaw & Scrimshanders, Norman Flayderman, p. 184,illust.

17 East 96th Street, New York, New York 10128(212)348-5219 Gallery hours are from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm,Tuesday through Saturday. Other hours are available by appointment.

HILL

GALLERY

"The Day of Judgement(Original Picture)(1925) When the Seven Trumpets shall sound, & the Seven Phials shall be opened, & The Revelations shall be fulfilled. The Earth, The Oceans, & Hell shall give up their dead. Picture taken from the Revelations. W.H. Morris" 47"H x 33"W

In 407 W. Brown Street Birmingham

MI. 48009

T248.540.9288

F248.540.6965

JAMES CASTLE

1900-1977

Untitled (12 friends). n.d. Soot and spit drawing on found paper,4" x 4'/z"

j. Crist is the agent for the work of James Castle (A. C. Wade Estate, Castle Collection, L.P.)

CRIST

465 West Main Street Boise, Idaho 83702 phone 208.336.2671 fax 208.336.5615 web www.jamescastle.com e-mail arajcrist.com

PAIR OF RARE NINETEENTH CENTURY NORTHEASTERN AMERICAN SURF SCOTER DECOYS BY AN UNIDENTIFIED MAKER

ONE AMBER LANE • NORTHAMP I ON • MASSACHUSETTS • 01060 • • ( 4 1 3) 5 8 6 • 390 9 • • DON WALTERS • MARY BENISEK

ART Et ANTIQUES

WALTERS BENISEK

FOLK ART VOLUME 25,NUMBER I / SPRING 2000

Cover:BESS AND JOE/William Edmondson/ /4 x 10"/ n.d./limestone/16, /s x 20, Cheekwood Museum ofArt, Nashville, gift ofSalvatore Formosa Sr., Mrs. Pete Formosa Sr., and Mrs. Rose Formosa Bromley and museum purchase through the Stallworth bequest.

Folk Art is published four times a year by the Museum of American Folk Art, 555 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-2925, Tel. 212/977-7170, Fax 212/977-8134. Prior to Fall 1992; Volume 17, Number 3,Folk Art was published as The Clarion. Annual subscription rate for members is included in membership dues. Copies are mailed to all members. Single copy $6.00. Published and copyright 2000 by the Museum of American Folk Art, 555 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-2925. The cover and contents of Folk Art are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Museum of American Folk Art. Unsolicited manuscripts or photographs should be accompanied by return postage. Folk Art assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of such materials. Change of address: Please send both old and new addresses and allow five weeks for change. Advertising: Folk Art endeavors to accept advertisements only from advertisers whose reputation is recognized in the trade, but despite the care with which the advertising department screens photographs and texts submitted by its advertisers, it cannot guarantee the unquestionable authenticity of objects or quality of services advertised in its pages or offered for sale by its advertisers, nor can it accept responsibility for misunderstandings that may arise from the purchase or sale of objects or services advertised in its pages. The Museum is dedicated to the exhibition and interpretation of folk art and it is a violation of its principles to be involved in or to appear to be involved in the sale of works of art. For this reason, the Museum will not knowingly accept advertisements for Folk Art that illustrate or describe objects that have been exhibited at the Museum within one year of placing an advertisement.

ATUR

THE ART OF WILLIAM EDMONDSON AT CHEEKWOOD Rusty Freeman

FINDING THE MISSING MAN:CARL WORNER'S BOTTLE WHIMSIES Susan D. Jones

AMERICAN GARDENS & QUILTS: DESIGN PARALLELS AND PREFERENCES IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY Susan Curtis, Carolyn Ducey, and Patricia Cox Crews

DEP

MEN

EDITOR'S COLUMN

DIRECTOR'S LETTER

CONSERVATION CHALLENGE

MINIATURES

BOOKS OF INTEREST

MUSEUM REPRODUCTIONS PROGRAM

MUSEUM WEB SITE

MUSEUM NEWS

TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS

TRUSTEES/DONORS

SPRING PROGRAMS

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 5

EDITOR'S

COLUMN

ROSEMARY GABRIEL

n May 20, the Museum of American Folk Art will present "The Art of William Edmondson," a beautiful exhibition featuring forty sculptures and forty historical photographs. Organized by the Cheekwood Museum of Art, it is the first full-scale retrospective of the artist's work in more than nineteen years. Our lead essay,"The Art of William Edmondson at Cheekwood," by Rusty Freeman, the exhibition's curator, is a sensitive account of the artist's life in Nashville and a chronicle of Cheekwood's collection of his work. The essay, illustrated by five wonderful sculptures, starts on page 30. Shown here is Edmondson's Woman with Muff, a promised gift to the Museum of American Folk Art. The Museum's collection of contemporary sculpture and three-dimensional works is quite varied and includes pieces by Felipe Benito Archuleta, David Butler, Miles Carpenter, William Edmondson, Elijah Pierce, and Edgar Tolson, to name just a few. The collection also includes a group of bottle whimsiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a unique form of sculpture that is not often written about. In "Finding the Missing Man: Carl Womer's Bottle Whimsies," starting on page 38, author Susan D. Jones takes us into the miniature worlds of an itinerant artist, who bartered his "vignettes in a bottle" for a drink, a good cigar, or perhaps a pair of shoes. Through her collecting and dogged research, Jones has tracked whimsy carver Carl Womer through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Missouri, and Illinois. WOMAN WITH MUFF/c.1940/ limestone / 151 / 2x 6/ 1 2x 6%"/ Parallels are often drawn between the predomi- Museum of American Folk Art, promised anonymous gift nately male efforts of whimsy making, tramp-art carving, and marquetry and the mostly female art of quiltmaking. In "American Gardens and Quilts," Susan Curtis, Carolyn Ducey, and Patricia Cox Crews discuss the effects of nineteenth-century garden design, along with the availability of plants and seeds, on the choices American women of that era made for their quilt motifs. Based on their work for "Fanciful Flowers: Botany and the American Quilt," an exhibition on display through January 2001, at the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraskaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lincoln, Curtis, Ducey,and Crews give us a virtual garden tour(pages 46 to 55), punctuated by seven wonderful flower quilts, stitched between 1843 and 1880. Also in this issue, read Holland Cotter's comments, as published in The New York Times, on the Museum's current exhibition "Millennial Dreams: Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art," in Museum News(pages 68 and 69). "Millennial Dreams," if you haven't seen it yet, or would like to revisit, will be on view through May 14. Look for exhibitions in your area in our Miniatures section, a recap of the Museum's Fall Antiques Show Benefit and other Museum events in Museum News, and information on a very, very special conservation grant on page18. Until June, have a wonderful, flower- and whimsy-filled season.

FOLK ART Rosemary Gabriel Editor and Publisher Jeffrey Kibler, The Magazine Group,Inc. Design Tanya Heinrich Associate Editor Jocelyn Meinhardt Production Editor Sarah Munt Assistant Editor Benjamin J. Boyington Copy Editor John Hood Advertising Sales Mel Novatt Advertising Sales Patrick H. Calkins Advertising Graphics Craftsmen Litho Printers MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART Administration Gerard C. Wertkin Director Riccardo Sahnona Deputy Director Stephen N. Roache Director ofFinance and Operations Susan Conlon Assistant to the Director Irene Kreny Accountant Daniel Rodriguez Mailroom Beverly McCarthy Mail Order/Reception Collections & Exhibitions Stacy C. Hollander Senior Curator and Director ofExhibitions Brooke Davis Anderson Director and Curator of The Contemporary Center Ann-Marie Reilly Registrar Judith Gluck Steinberg Assistant Registrar/ Coordinator of Traveling Exhibitions Sandra Wong Assistant Registrar Dale Gregory Gallery Manager Sara Kay Weekend Gallery Manager Gina Bianco Consulting Conservator Elizabeth V Warren Consulting Curator Howard Lanser Consulting Exhibition Designer Kenneth R. Bing Security Departments Cheryl Aldridge Director ofDevelopment Beth Bergin Membership Director Marie S. DiManno Director ofMuseum Shops Susan Flamm Public Relations Director Alice J. Hoffman Director ofLicensing Janey Fire Photographic Services Suzannah Schatt Membership Associate Jennifer Claire Scott Special Events Coordinator Jane A. McIntosh Development Associate Kathy Maqsudi Membership Assistant Wendy Barreto Membership Clerk Edith C. Wise Consulting Librarian Eugene P. Sheehy Volunteer Librarian Rita Keckeissen Volunteer Librarian Katya Ullmann Library Assistant Programs Lee Kogan Director, Folk Art Institute/Curator ofSpecial Projects for The Contemporary Center Barbara W. Cate Educational Consultant Dr. Marilynn Karp Director, New York University Master's and Ph.D. Program in Folk Art Studies Dr. Judith Reiter Weissman Coordinator, New York University Program Arlene Hochman Docent Coordinator Linda Simon Associate Docent Coordinator Museum Shop Staff Managers: Dorothy Gargiulo, Caroline Hohenrath, Ursula Morino, Rita Pollitt, Suzanne Sypulski; Security: Bienvenido Medina; Volunteers: Marie Anderson, Olive Bates, Angela Clair, Sally Frank, Millie Gladstone, Nancy Mayer, Judy Rich, Frances Rojack, Phyllis Selnick, Lola Silvergleid, Maxine Spiegel, Marion Whitley Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop Two Lincoln Square(Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th Streets) New York, NY 10023-6214 212/496-2966 Administrative Offices Museum of American Folk Art 555 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-2925 212/977-7170, Fax 212/977-8134, http://www.follcartmuseum.org

6 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Andrew Flamm & Michelle Hauser

ODD FELLOWS ANTIQUES

Carved and painted wood; moveable eyes. Circa 1900. Original untouched surface. 8"x 13" x 6"

Route 41 Mount Vernon, Maine •(207) 293-3569 P.O. Box 145, Mount Vernon, ME 04352 • email: odd@ime.net

CHRISTIE'S

ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHAMBERS (1808-1865) Ship off the coast of Maine, C. 1850 oil on canvas, 23'/.x 17$ in. sight Sold on January 21 for $32,200

6 0

Folk Art For more information about buying or selling Folk Art at auction please contact 212 636 2230

Catalogues: 800 395 6300

christies.com

20 Rockefeller Plaza New York, New York 10020

MEDIUMISTIC DRAWINGS

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HELEN WELLS (Instrument 1) was a medium and founding member of the spiritualist Jansen Group. She died in 1940 and was succeeded by her step-daughter Norma Oliver (Instrument 2). Included with the drawings were letters channeled from Native Americans, Pythagoras, Ralph Waldo Emerson,Bishop Cornelius Jansen and Brothers and Sisters from Mars, Venus, Pluto and Saturn. A group of her drawings made between 1915 and 1922 were recently found in New York City by Cavin-Morris Gallery.

CAVIN-MORRIS GALLERY 560 Broadway, Suite 405B New York, NY 10012 tel: (212) 226-3768

fax:(212) 226-0155 e-mail: mysteries@aol.com www.artnet.com/cavinmorris.html

226 West 21st Street; New York, N.Y. 10011 •(212)929-8769, Appointment Suggested.• Subject to prior sale.

IN SUPERB ORIGINAL SURFACE WITH SOME OLD BULLET HOLE REPAIRS. LENGTH:48 INCHES• HEIGH'T: 25 INCHES•DEPTH:9 INCHES

RARE SULKY-MOUNTAIN Boy WEATHERVANE

Sidney Gecker

American Folk Art

AMERICAN PRIMITIVE

594 BROADWAY, # 205 NEW YORK, NY 10012 AARNE ANTON

212 - 966 - 1530

Fax: 212 - 343 0272

TUE - SAT 11 - 6

Dealing in remarkable folk art, outsider, and

GALLERY

visionary art of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries

Life size Afro-American figure reaching up to the heavens. Georgia, height 72 inches.

TRA Y

1111101

ART Sk AN

76 SHEFFIELD PLAIN ROAD ROUTE 7 PO Box 1340 SHEFFIELD MA 01257 TEL 413.229.604

EXCLUSIVELY REPRESENTING THE WORK OF

BILL TRAYLOR

FROM THE ESTATE OF CHARLES E. SHANNON

uiRSCHL g ADLER IvinilERN 21 EAST 70TH STREET NEW YORK NEW YORK 10021 TEL 212 535 8810 FAX 212 772 7237 E-MAIL: BARBARAD@HIRSCHLANDADLER.COM

TYSON TRADING CO. ART&ANTIQUES s4:4143%Iti .t.:4;;C• 30t3.3.•3.40.2, 1 4 4% 4, 14, 1 14 t.7 *

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TY AND JEAN TYSON 505 CHOLOKKA BLVD. PO BOX 369 MICANOPY FL.32667 PHONE 352-466-3410 EMAIL: TYSONTRADEO)AOL.COM ALSO OFFERING WORKS BY PURVIS YOUNG,ALYNE HARRIS,AND OTHERS.

Portrait of a girl in a red dress with cat Attributed to William Matthew Prior c. 1840, 10" x 14"

DAVID

WHEATCROFT

220 East Main Street, Westborough, Massachusets 01581 (508) 366-1723

DIRECTOR'S

LETTER

GERARD C. WERTKIN

t the regular quarterly meeting of the Museum's Board last December, we welcomed new trustees Barbara Cate and Laura Parsons. For Barbara,election to the Board represents a homecoming. A professor of art history at Seton Hall University and director of that institution's Graduate Program in Museum Professions, Barbara was the founding director of the Museum's Folk Art Institute, a position that she held from 1985 to 1995. A distinguished educator in the arts, Barbara is the author of several published studies in the field of American folk art and is the recipient of many grants for her programs and educational initiatives, including awards from New Jersey's Board of Higher Education, Committee for the Humanities, and Council on the Arts. Under a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, Barbara directs an exemplary scholarship program in museum management for minority students. Barbara and her husband, Tracy, are collectors of American folk art. Laura Parsons, who holds a doctorate in child/school psychology, has served as a teacher,family support worker, evaluation coordinator, and psychologist for TOTS,an organization that provides a variety of services for infants and their parents in the Bronx, New York. She also coordinated boroughwide planning for early intervention services in New York City under the auspices of the New York State Department of Health. Laura is a member of the board of directors of Bank Street College of Education and the YMCA of New York City, among other organizations, and serves on the Community Services Board of the New York City Department of Mental Health, Mental Hygiene and Alcoholism Services. With her husband, Richard, Laura is an avid collector of African and African American art. It is my pleasure to welcome Barbara and Laura to the Museum's Board of Trustees and to thank them for their enthusiastic support of the Museum. Board service at the Museum of American Folk Art implies a true commitment of time and resources. All of us are grateful for the leadership demonstrated by this public-spirited group of talented A CONCEPTION OF PARADISE IN THE individuals, especially now, when the GREAT CENTRAL GALAXY building project places even greater Godfrey F. Ferris demands on the Museum's Trustees. United States Visitors to the Museum's building site 1950 Watercolor, pen and ink, and metallic on West 53rd Street have been delighted to inks on paper see the progress that is being made each 17/ 1 2 x 211 / 2"framed Collection of Dorothea and Leo Rabkin and every day. Site excavation is now complete, and the early stages of construction have begun. There could be no more

16 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

fitting start to this special new year. Once again,I would like to thank the Museum's members and friends for their contributions to the Capital Campaign and their other generous commitments to the Museum. At year's end, a large number of contributions to the Capital Campaign were received in memory of Laura Israel, whose death on November 16,1999, deprived the Museum of a caring and enthusiastic friend. A gifted quiltmaker, ardent folk art collector, and dedicated student, Laura had an optimistic and life-affirming outlook that made it a treat to be in her presence. On page 70 of this issue of Folk Art,is a list of those who donated to the Capital Campaign in memory of Laura Israel. I extend my sympathy to Laura's husband, Ted, and thank him for suggesting that the Museum be the beneficiary of gifts in Laura's name. From time to time it has been pleasure to use this letter to call attention to the Museum's permanent collection, the growth of which has been truly remarkable. Recently, the Museum's friends, David and Barbara Krashes of Massachusetts, generously provided

the funds necessary for the purchase by the Museum of two early and highly significant portraits by Sheldon Peck (1797-1868). David and Barbara also have promised the Museum a gift from their own collection: a wonderful portrait of an engaging young woman, Frances G. Motley, by John Blunt(1795-1835). Gifts of this importance will greatly enhance the Museum's presentations in its new facilities on 53rd Street. What a wonderful affirmation of the Museum's mission!

ARCHANGEL GABRIEL WEATHERVANE Artist unknown United States c.1850 Iron with traces of gold leaf and paint 45 â&#x20AC;˘ 23" Private collection

Objects from the Museum's collection continue to be requested for inclusion in exhibitions throughout the world. A group of objects, for example, was chosen by Paul D'Ambrosio, director of exhibitions and folk art at the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown, New York,for his impressive survey,"Empire State Mosaic: The Folk Art of New York." I had the opportunity to visit this handsome installation at Fenimore House and was pleased to see some of my personal favorites from the Museum's collection on display. Another group of objects was selected for "The Eye of the Collector: Works from the Lipman Collection of American Art" at the Arizona State University Art Museum in Tempe. As many readers will know, Jean and Howard Lipman were passionate collectors of American folk art and were important donors to the Museum's permanent collection. The exhibition provides illuminating insights into their life together and their shared commitment to the arts. As this issue of Folk Art is being prepared for press, an outstanding gathering of quilts, together with several other objects from the permanent collection, are being readied for shipment to Japan where they will be exhibited in the galleries of Takashimaya department stores in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Yokohama. It is gratifying to me,as Director of the Museum,that works of art from the permanent collection are being shared with audiences all over the globe. At home,"Millennial Dreams: Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art" continues its run at the Museum's Eva and Morris Feld Gallery to much critical acclaim. The exhibition will remain at the Museum until May 14, 2000, so there is still time for you to visit. Two exceptional objects from the exhibition are illustrated here. They demonstrate the diversity and range of this timely presentation. This is my first Letter for Folk Art in the new millennium, and getting used to writing "2000" has been easier than I anticipated. Perhaps that is because this new period begins with such hope and clear evidence of progress. I wish all of you the best of life's blessings in this New Year and in the years to 6Â° come.*

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 17

ANNOUNCEMENT

Conservation Challenge useum visitors will recognize this exotic, scenic plaster wall as an important fixture in the IVI Daniel Cowin Permanent Collection Gallery. Measuring approximately 7 x 12 feet, it is the largest of panels which once comprised a hallway in the Boyce home in Thornton, New Hampshire. The work is attributed to the "Bear and Pears" artist, an unidentified itinerant decorative painter whose work is characterized by the distinctive motif of trees laden with red pears. The walls were a generous gift to the Museum from William Bernhard and Catherine Cahill in 1988, having previously been rescued from the abandoned house

18 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

in the middle of a cow field. The section currently on view was conserved in 1993. The remaining walls, while disfigured by graffiti, were nonetheless found in generally good condition. The walls were stabilized and placed in storage until funds could be raised to complete conservation. Painted interior walls are among the most monumentalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; yet most fragileâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of American folk arts. Stenciled and freehand decoration were frequently combined, in imitation of the expensive patterned wallpapers that were very much in vogue in the nineteenth century, but out of financial reach for many. Sometimes more than one artist was responsible for the painted decoration. In the Museum's example, for instance, the stenciled

border at the top of the walls resembles the work of the wellknown decorative painter, Moses Eaton Jr. On January 12, the Museum received the exciting news that it had been awarded a coveted Cultural Challenge Grant from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs(NYCDCA)to complete conservation. Once conserved, the scenic panels will be installed into the walls of one of the exhibition floors in the Museum's new building at 45 West 53rd St. An intriguing aspect of the proposed installation is the possibility of exposing a portion of the back of the walls behind glass, providing a rare glimpse of the underlying original support structure, and a greater understanding of the artist's technique.

SCENIC WALLS/ Attributed to the "Bear and Pears Artist" / Thornton, New Hampshire / 1800-1825 / Tempera, lime, sand, and horsehair, over wooden laths / 82'/>e 1481 / 2"/ Museum of American Folk Art, New York / Gift of William Bernhard and Catherine Cahill / 1988.10.1-12

NYCDCA has committed $21,000 to the project, which the Museum must match on a 1:1 basis by June 15,2000.In addition to institutional fundraising efforts, donations from the Museum community would be an impressive public endorsement. Please send contributions to Cheryl Aldridge, Director of Development, Museum of American Folk Art, 555 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 with a note designating your gift for the Scenic Walls Conservation Project(this information is necessary to document the matching requirements).*

MINIATURES

COMPILED BY SARAH MUNT

SILK QUILT attributed to lemina Prentice (1773-1865) Brooklyn 1860-1865 pieced silk and ribbon 96/ 1 4 883 / 4" Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Nellie Mae Rowe Fellowship The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, Inc. (706/746-5718),located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia, is offering a Nellie Mae Rowe Fellowship. Founded in 1934,the Hambidge Center allows artists to stay two to six weeks on the 600-acre property and pursue work in dance, music, painting, or ceramics. Given in the memory of Georgian self-taught artist Nellie Mae Rowe, the fellowship covers the residency and a small stipend for travel, living expenses, or supplies. For more information or to request an application, contact The Hambidge Center,P.O. Box 339, Rabun Gap,GA 30568; 706/746-5718; hambidge@ acme-brain.com. Semiannual HSEAD Convention

Textiles Exhibitions Roundup Seven exhibitions showcasing textiles will be on view this spring at venues around the country: San Jose, California "Na Pua0Hawai'i: Flowers and Heritage of Hawari" San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles 408/971-0323 March 10—May 7 Chicago "The Woven Coverlet: An Expression of Treasured America" The Art Institute of Chicago 312/443-3600 Feb. 23—April 16

20 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Lowell, Massachusetts "Mood Indigo: Antique Quilts" New England Quilt Museum 978/452-4207 March 30—May 21 Lincoln, Nebraska "Fanciful Flowers: Botany and the American Quilt" Cooper Gallery, University of Nebraska State Museum 402/472-2642 Through Jan. 2001 "Expressions of Freedom: Quilts Celebrating Human Rights" Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery, University of NebraskaLincoln 402/472-2911 May 30—Sept. 15

Charlotte, North Carolina "Spirits of the Cloth: Contemporary African American Quilts" Mint Museum of Craft + Design 704/337-2000 Feb. 5—April 30 Williamsburg, Virginia "A Quartet of Quilts" The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center 757/220-7286 April 29—Sept.4

The Historical Society of Early American Decoration(HSEAD) will hold its semiannual convention and exhibition at the Sheraton Stamford Hotel in Stamford, Conn.,the weekend of April 14 to 16. On view will be a special exhibition of antique decorated tinware, reverse painting on glass, and American county painted pieces. The public is welcome, and admission is free on Friday from 4 to 11 P.M., Saturday from 9 A.M. to 11 P.M., and Sunday from 9 A.M. to noon. For more information, please call chairperson Sandra Strong at 860/683-0198.

FREDDIE BRICE works by: AIKEN BIRNBAUM BRICE BUTLER COINS DAWSON DOYLE FINSTER GODIE HAMILTON HAWKINS S.L. JONES LERMAN REED MURRAY PIERCE TRAVERS WARFEL

K.S. Art

Freddie Brice lb. 1920) Three Fish, 1993, acrylic on wood,32 X 48 inches

73 LEONARD STREET NY NY 10013 212 219 9918

THE

AMES GALLERY

Dealers in exceptional contemporary self-taught, naive, visionary, and outsider art. • Also early handmade Americana including quilts, carved canes, tramp art and whimseys. • 2661 Cedar Street Berkeley, California 94708 telephone: 510/845-4949 facsimile: 510/845-6219 email: amesgal@home.com

Selectionsfrom our inventory

Photo by Ben Ailes

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 21

ERICA

*FOLK* ART

ANTIQUES

Left: Carved and painted figure in the form of a mountain woman, signed Kester Morton, Lizemore,West Virginia. In excellent condition, circa 1950-75. Right: Carved and polychromed tobacconist figure in the form of a Black Dandy in tails and sash with tobacco leaves. In first surface with minor losses, circa 1840-70. Ex Lang collection.

Charlton Bradsher • 64 Biltrnore Avenue • Asheville, North Carolina 28801 • Tel. & Fax (828) 251-1904 • vvvvw.arrierifolk.corn

MINIATURES

Selected

Engraved Powder Horns "His Horne Made: Engraved Powder Horns from the Collection of James E. Routh, Jr." is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art(706/5424662)in Athens until March 26. The exhibition of nine hollowed-out and engraved cow's-horn containers highlights the practical and ornate. Carried by soldiers and hunters,

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

the horns contained gunpowder and were engraved by artisans with the owner's name and sometimes other personal information, motifs, or designs. The powder horn reached its artistic apex during the French and Indian Wars, when it was considered a necessary fashion accessory while traveling by foot.

oowder homs from the Routh Collection

CHARLES W. HUTSON 1840-1936 Intuit Presents American Masters "American Masters," a study collection of works by renowned American folk artists, will be on display at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art (312/243-9088)in Chicago through Sept. 16. The exhibition provides an introduction and overview of the field. With works such as Bill Traylor's deceptively simple and spare drawings and the complex, otherworldly renderings of Henry

Darger, this show explores many facets of 20th-century folk art. The exhibition also includes pieces by Howard Finster, William Hawkins, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Martin Ramirez, A.G. Rizzoli, Simon Rodia, Drossos P. SkyRas, Eugene von Bruenchenhein, and Joseph Yoakum. Also on view is "E2K: Elvisions 2000," through March 25.

UNTITLED (Possum Chase) Bill Traylor Montgomery, Alabama c. 1940 1 2" 20 / 14/ pencil on cardboard Collection of Jan Petry and Angie Mills

Sa m son Destroying the Temple, c 1930, 16" x 12"

OTHER WORKS BY CLEMENTINE HUNTER CHARLES W. HUTSON

Ivy League Folk Art The Art Museum Princeton University,(609/258-5949),in New Jersey, will present"A Window into Collecting American Folk Art: The Edward Duff Ballcen Collection at Princeton"from April 15 to June 11. Balken, spending his summers in the Berkshires, began to collect folk art in the 1920s. Focusing on 19th-century paintings, Balken amassed a collection that was given to The Art Museum

Princeton University in 1958 and has only been exhibited twice The exhibition, organized by curator Charlotte Emans Moore, contains 65 paintings, primarily portraits. Included are works by Zedekiah Belknap, Erastus Salisbury Field, and Ammi Phillips. The collection offers an intriguing look at the early days of folk art collecting. A catalog will be available.

GERTRUDE MORGAN MARY T. SMITH

"PAPPY" KITCHENS

WILLIE WHITE

WILLIAM PELTIER FINE AND FOLK ART 376 Millaudon St. • New Orleans, LA 70118 tel: 504.861.3196 • e-mail: wpeltier@aol.com web site: www.peltierart.com By Appointment

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 23

MINIATURES

Thornton Dial in 2000 Whitney Biennial Renowned self-taught artist Thornton Dial Sr. has been selected for inclusion in the Whitney Museum of American Art's 2000 Biennial Exhibition (212/570-3600), which will be on view in New York City from March 23 to June 4. The Whitney recruited curators from outside the institution in an effort to showcase artists working beyond the metropolitan New York area. The result has been one of the most anticipated biennials in recent years. This exhibit will feature the works of97 artists, one of the largest groups ever. Dial has been known in the folk art world for many years, and his inclusion in the Biennial speaks to his appeal to the mainstream artworld. However,this is not the first time that a folk artist has 25'' h x 17'' w

TRAMP ART FRAME a truly exceptional example See page 127 "ONE NOTCH AT A TIME" â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Wallach, Cornish

Prinzhom Collection in New York The Drawing Center(212/2192166)in New York City will present"The Prinzhom Collection: Traces upon the Wunderblock" from April 15 to June 10. This collection of drawings was amassed by influential European psychiatrist and art historian Hans Prinzhorn from approxi-

Always buying fine examples of American Folk Art, single pieces or entire collections.

J.E. PORCELLI AMERICAN FOLK ART Cleveland, Ohio Tel./fax: 216 932 3270 Shows Only E-mail: jeporcelli@en.com LETTER TO HUSBAND / Emma Hauk / Germamq 1909 / pencil on paper / < 4"/ The Prinzhorn Collection at the University of Heidelberg 24 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

been included in the Biennial; the works of Edgar Tolson and Bessie Harvey were on view in 1973 and 1995, respectively. Race relations and social commentary are common themes in Dial's expressive paintings, mixed-media assemblages, and sculptures. The Museum of American Folk Art presented "Thornton Dial: Image of the Tiger," an exhibition of his work, in the winter of 1993 to 1994. Dial was recently commissioned to create a sculpture at Freedom Park in Atlanta; it will be installed in fall of 2000. This work, measuring 30 feet by 6 feet wide and made of black metal, is a tribute to civil rights leader, Georgia's Congressman John Lewis.

mately 1890 to 1920. Working with mentally ill individuals, Prinzhom became convinced of the recuperative powers of creating art. On view will be more than 200 drawings that present intense visual discourses on the unconscious, mental illness, and social isolation. Prinzhom also advocated the aesthetic value of his patients' drawings, and though his plans to create an exhibition space never materialized during his lifetime, the University of Heidelberg is building a museum,scheduled to open in 2001,for the collection. The exhibition is accompanied by Drawing Papers(no. 6), containing new scholarly research and four essays on the Prinzhom collection. In addition, a colloquium will be held on May 4. Also on view is "James Castle: House Drawings," through April 29.

gn ite

MANHATTAN ART & ANTIQUES CENTER Tattoo Innovator Celebrated The South Street Seaport Museum (212/748-8600)in New York City presents "American Tattoo: The Art of Gus Wagner" on view through May at the Whitman Gallery. Tattoo artist and showman Gus Wagner (1872-1941) was a colorful character who left an indelible mark on Americans and the history of the tattoo. Tattoos were initially introduced by sailors from Polynesia, and most major U.S.

coastal cities had tattoo parlors by the 19th century. Wagner was not only a tattoo artist, but also a master showman. He adorned thousands of Americans with his designs of eagles, battleships, religious scenes, and animals as well as many other motifs. The exhibition includes Wagner's tools, mementos, and "flashes," offering a glimpse into the life and times of an integral figure in the history of body art.

The Nation's Largest and Finest Antiques Center. Over 100 galleries offering Period Furniture, Jewelry, Paintings, Silver, Americana, Orientalia, Africana and other Objets d'Art. 1050 SECOND AVENUE(AT 55TH ST.) NEW YORK, N.Y. 10022 PRESENTS

STILL CRAZY FOR QUILTS IN 2000!

One beauty from a diverse collection of Victorian silk "crazy" and figural quilts.

James Hampton's Throne Colonial Williamsburg's Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center(757/220-7698) will host "James Hampton's Throne of the Third Heaven: A Millennial Treasure from the Smithsonian American Art Museum"from April 29, 2000,to December 2002. On display will be the bulk of the African American self-taught artist's The Throne ofthe Third Heaven ofthe Nations Millennium General Assembly, an elaborate 180-piece assemblage from the collection of the National Museum of American Art, which is undergoing extensive renovations. Inspired by religious

THE THRONE OF THE THIRD HEAVEN OF THE NATIONS MILLENNIUM GENERAL ASSEMBLY / James Hampton (1909-19641/Washington, D.C./ c. 1950-1964 / gold and aluminum silver foil, Kraft paper, and plastic over wood 1 2x 27 x furniture, paperboard, and glass/ 10/ 14/ 1 2feet / National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C./ gift of anonymous donors

visions, Hampton meticulously labored each night on the immense installation in his Washington, D.C. garage from 1950 to 1964. Hampton intended The Throne to be a religious tool, but his use of discarded materials, aluminum and gold foil, cardboard, plastic, and lightbulbs create a shimmering tableau that makes it a spectacular work of art.

LAURA FISHER ANTIQUE QUILTS&AMERICANA Gallery #84 New York City's largest, most exciting selection of Antique Quilts, Hooked Rugs, Coverlets, Paisley Shawls, Beacon Blankets, Vintage Accessories and American Folk Art. Laura Fisher: Tel: 212-838-2596 Monday—Saturday 11AM-6PM The Manhattan Art&Antiques Center.

Tel: 212-355-4400 • Fax: 212-355-4403 www.the-maac.com • Email: info@the-maac.com Open Daily 10:30-6, Sun. 12-6 Convenient Parking • Open to the Public

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 25

Gallery

Barbara Brogdon 1611 Hwy. 129 S.• Cleveland, GA 30528 (706) 865-6345• FAX (706) 219-3112 email: rosehips@hemc.net Read Liz Arango's biography at:

www.rosehipsart.com

"A Joyful Season" —LizArango 18"x24"acrylic on canvas, $500.00

CLIEMIENTIIN IF

Collection Includes: David Butler Minnie Evans Howard Finster Louden J.B. Murry Sarah Rakes Nellie Rowe

CALLEY6

W. Sharlhorne Herbert Singleton Jim Sudduth Myrlice West Willie White Willie/Willie And others.

Ift I

CALLELN R

MES EST. 1978

8750 Florida Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70815

225.922.9225

www.eatel.net/—outsider

Flowers & Birds, c.1962, 18"x 14", Oil on Masonite.

26 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Photo by T Neff.

ELIJAH PIERCE

Also featuring Popeye Reed Thornton Dial Herbert Singleton Tim Lewis

LINDSAY GALLERY DUFF LINDSAY 1991 GUILFORD RD. COLUMBUS, OHIO 43221 614-486-1973 duffl@eudoramail.com

Introducing Michelle Kovalik T.E. Hay Shawn Pauley

Ginger Young Gallery 0011 ,g

Southern Self-Taught Art

1g6 la s elt sw t lt • la I tsta 6 51 11 1a, .1 061 11 011•111 4 0,0 041 1

By appointment 919.932.6003 Works by more than four dozen artists, including: Rudolph Bostic Raymond Coins • Howard Finster Sybil Gibson • Willie Jinks M. C. Jones Joe Light Woodie Long • R. A. Miller • Reginald Mitchell Sarah Rakes • Royal Robertson • J. P. Scott Lorenzo Scott Earl Simmons • James "Buddy" Snipes Mose Tolliver • John Henry Toney • Myrtice West Willie White Purvis Young • tramp art

* Illy. 6.

Ginger Young Gallery

40416

5802 Brisbane Drive -Y

.4•?i

Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Phone/Fax 919.932.6003 gingerart@aol.com www.GingerYoung.com

"New Orleans" by Jimmy Lee Sudduth mud and paint on plywood, 48" x 48", 1998

Please visit our website to view over 200 works.

FRANK J. MIELE CONTEMPORARY

AMERICAN

FOLK

ART

gallery

Family Ties: Needlework by Denise Allen February 29 through March 25 Artist's Reception: Saturday, March 4 from 1 to 5 pm

1086 Madison Avenue (at 82nd Street) New York NY 10028 (212) 249-7250

28 SPRING 2000

FOLK ART

DeHoogh Gallery 1624 PINE STREET â&#x20AC;˘ PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 215-735-7722 Serving collectors and museums for over 35 years

Early sculpture of a rare subject by

William Edmondson Seated nude with flowing hair and arms raised behind her head 1930-1940 limestone 10 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 4 inches For a similar pose see: Edward Weston's plate 106 in Visions In Stone by Edmund Fuller

a d ordso (ThrTh

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Detail of RECLINING MAN This detail of the underside of the carving reveals the mysterious markings running down the entire spine.

(Th

Cheekaood By Rusty Freeman

30 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

The Cheekwood Museum of Art in Nashville presides over the country's largest collection of William Edmondson sculptures. The collection consists of twenty works, highlighted by four outstanding pieces: Bess and Joe, Eve, Reclining Man, and Girl with Cape. Drawing from this collection and from private collections and museums nationwide, Cheekwood has organized the first national tour of Edmondson's sculpture and the first in-depth examination of his work.' The exhibition is accompanied by photographs by Edward Weston, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, and Consuelo Kanaga that document his work in situ. Published by the University Press of Mississippi, the exhibition catalog examines Edmondson's sculpture vis-a-vis the cultural milieu of turn-of-the-century Nashville and offers a broader understanding of the artist whom Robert Bishop, the former director of the Museum of American Folk Art, called "one of the outstanding folk carversâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;if not the outstanding oneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of the twentieth century."'

RECLINING MAN n.d. Limestone 6/ 3 4x 25 x 7/ 1 4" Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, gift of Michael LeBeck in memory of Sidney Miran Hirsch This is Edmondson's only known sculpture of a nude man.

i i

Although Edmondson has been consistently characterized as a naïve artist motivated solely by religious beliefs, his sculptures suggest intimate connections to his community's rich heritage as well as extraordinary aesthetic acumen. The sculptures show that Edmondson was profoundly aware of the people, stories, and icons of his community. Close scrutiny of Edmondson's work suggests three primary sources: daily life, African American folklore, and religion. William Edmondson was born in Nashville in 18743 to former slaves Orange and Jane Edmondson. Edmondson worked for the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis railways, and also as a racehorse groom, farmhand, and most importantly, from 1908 to 1929, as a hospital orderly and fireman at the Woman's Hospital in Nashville (later renamed the Baptist Hospital). When the Depression struck in 1929, he left his job at the hospital; it is unknown whether he quit or was laid off. Soon after, he started carving tombstones for neighbors. Several of his unadorned tombstones stand today in the two African American cemeteries in Nashville— Mt. Ararat and Greenwood. Edmondson declared that he had a vision from God, in which he was commanded to carve tombstones. Edmondson said he was told to "pick up your tools and start to work on a tombstone. I looked up in the sky and right there in the noon daylight He hung a tombstone out for me to make."4 Drawn to his sculpture-filled yard, neighbor Sidney Hirsch, one of the leaders of the Vanderbilt University literary circle known as The Fugitives, made friends with Edmondson. He introduced the artist to fellow Fugitive Alfred Starr, a local financier and theater owner, and his wife, Elizabeth, who in turn introduced Edmondson to Louise Dahl-Wolfe, a fashion photographer for Harper's Bazaar. Dahl-Wolfe took photographs of the sculptor's work to Alfred Barr, the first director of New York's Museum of Modern Art, and suggested an exhibition. Ban, already keenly aware of the profound influence folk artists were having on modern artists,3 recognized Edmondson's aesthetic and expressive strengths and in 1937 agreed to show his work, honoring him as the first African American artist to have a one-man exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art. Barr also included Edmondson's work in 1938's "Trois Siecles d'Art aux Etats-Unis" (Three Centuries of Art in the United

32 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

States), an exhibition organized by MoMA that appeared at the Musee du Jeu de Paume in Paris. Despite this temporary interest from the New York artworld, Edmondson was soon essentially forgotten. He died on February 7, 1951,in relative obscurity. Cheekwood rekindled attention in 1964 with an expansive retrospective featuring 121 of his works, but it was not until the 1982 Corcoran Gallery of Art exhibition "Black Folk Art in America" that Edmondson formally regained national recognition. illiam Edmondson began sculpting around 1930 or 1931 at about the age of 57, and continued until ill health forced him to quit in 1947. His first work came to Cheekwood nine years after his death. A gift from John Thompson, a local bon vivant and a reporter for the Nashville Tennessean newspaper, Schoolteacher inaugurated the museum's Edmondson collection. Thompson had written what remains the most revealing article on Edmondson for his newspaper, quoting Edmondson without derision, letting the artist speak for himself. In a period when self-taught artists were undervalued and underrepresented in the collection, Cheekwood director Harry Lowe's decision to accept this work demonstrated considerable foresight. Teaching was considered an extremely significant vocation within Edmondson's community, and one that Edmondson repeatedly immortalized in stone. As proper schooling was hard to come by in Edmondson's Nashville, schoolteachers were rightly exalted as true benefactors of success and freedom. In the mid-1960s, Elizabeth Starr donated two important works—Eve and Seated Nude—to the museum. Starr and her husband were early patrons of Edmondson and purchased several works directly from the artist. Given to the museum in 1964, Eve, a major work, reveals the artist in full command of his sculptural powers. A complex work of reverence laced with humor, Eve stands as testimony to Edmondson's regard for his faith and for women in general. The following year, Starr gave Seated Nude to Cheekwood. This gift was followed in 1969 with a gift of another, slightly smaller Seated Nude from John Thompson and his sister, Mrs. Con Thompson Ball. Together, the Seated Nudes present a compelling aspect of the artist: his willingness to confront real or imag-

GIRL WITH CAPE n.d. Limestone 3 4 7" 26 14/ Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, gift of the estate of Elizabeth Lyle Starr Girl with Cape shares features with Edmondson's Eleanor Roosevelt the body language is forthright, with the head up and the torso precisely facing forward, but the figure is elevated on a pedestal.

EVE n.d. limestone 32 x 11/ 3 4x 6/ 3 4" Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, gift of Mrs. Alfred Starr Eve, Mother of All, is presented with several beguiling features: large oval earrings, a stylish hairdo, a sleeve playfully covering her right arm, and a large maple leaf instead of the proverbial fig leaf.

ined taboos and to sculpt any subject matter worthy of attention. Previous scholarship has suggested that Edmondson would not sculpt nudes, but these sculptures and Reclining Man reveal Edmondson testing his own abilities as much as society's conventions.6 By confronting such taboos, Edmondson revealed himself as an artist interested in portraying life as he found it, not one who relied on others to interpret it for him. Edmondson is perhaps not as naïve as some essayists have suggested. Reclining Man followed the Seated Nudes into the collection as a 1973 gift from Michael LeBeck, a friend of raconteur and Fugitive Sidney Mttron Hirsch (whose unusual middle name is derived from the name of the Kabbalah angel-prince). According to local historian Louise LeQuire, the work may have been made at Hirsch's insistence.7 It certainly bears a subtle physical resemblance to Hirsch, with his bushy hair and Vandyke, but it is the all-but-decipherable symbols tracing the spine that may have the most direct connection. According to Fugitives chronicler Louise Cowan, Hirsch achieved "something of a reputation as poet, journalist, orientalist, and linguist."8 Hirsch greatly enjoyed deciphering signs and symbols, and if the opportunity presented itself during Fugitives meetings, Hirsch would attack a word "most like a proper name like Odysseus or Hamlet or Parsifal, or some common word like fool or fugitive—and then, turning from dictionary to dictionary in various languages... unroll a chain of veiled meanings that could be understood only through the system of etymologies to which he had the key." He assured his listeners that this was "the wisdom of the ages—a palimpsest underlying all great poetry, all great art, all religion, in all eras, in all lands."8 The Fugitives would convene their meetings in Hirsch's apartment on 20th Avenue South, a block from Vanderbilt's campus and a scant six blocks from Edmondson's home at 1434 14th Avenue South. Hirsch's magnetic personality and interest in etymologies may account for Reclining Man's mysterious glyphs. Regardless, it remains Edmondson's only sculpture of a nude man. One of Edmondson's most supremely executed works, Bride, was offered to Cheekwood by Louise DahlWolfe in 1980 in a deal brokered by Director Kevin Grogan. Dahl-Wolfe's beloved husband, Meyer (Mike) Wolfe, grew up in Nashville. Louise and Mike often visited friends there and, for a time, even lived in the city. Grogan was good friends with the couple, and the gift was as much a tribute to that friendship as it was an offering to Cheekwood. Petite and intimate, Bride appears shapely and feminine; Edmondson hewed the stone completely rather than allowing the original block form to become part of the composition. Grogan also arranged for the impressive Girl with Cape to be given to the museum by Elizabeth Starr's children in her honor. Donated to Cheekwood in 1982, Girl with Cape carries the same remarkable features of body language and hair styling as does Eleanor Roosevelt, Edmondson's tribute to the first lady who was an outspoken critic of inequalities and who championed civil rights in places where few could be found. Girl with Cape shares a certain posture with Eleanor Roosevelt: head up, torso precisely facing forward. In Girl

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 33

THE WHITLOW TOMBSTONE n.d. Limestone 301 / 2 27 8" Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, gift of Mr. And Mrs. Duiel and Sadie Whitlow Overton, Lucy Whitlow Burnley, and Richard Whitlow in memory of Rev. Alfred and Mrs. Mary Alice Whitlow This tombstone is the first example of Edmondson's cemetery work gifted to the Cheekwood collection. Donated by Mrs. Sadie Overton Whitlow, it formerly marked the grave of her mother, Mary Alice Whitlow.

34 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

TOM B- STO NE S FOR SALE

981 Center for Creative Photography. Arizona Board of Regents

C.ARDEN.ORNAME STONE WoliKvizte,„„,„

WILLIAM EDMONDSON'S SCULPTURE YARD Edward Weston Nashville 1941 Gelatin silver print 7/ 1 2 9/ 1 2"

with Cape, however, the arms are folded across the body, crossed as if waiting for something to occur. The cape is more angular and is accented with rounded ninety-degree angles as it envelops the body. Voluminous hair squarely adorns the head and ripples down her back into a neatly tied body-length braid of hair, strikingly similar to the coif sported by Eleanor Roosevelt. Edmondson carved this particular version of Girl with Cape at least one other time,'° demonstrating, through repetition, the importance of the work in his eyes. In 1990, Mrs. Patricia McDonald loaned an Edmondson sculpture to Cheekwood; Angel stayed with the museum for eight years until it closed temporarily for renovations. It is an extremely important piece within Edmondson's body of religious works and the only angel he carved with praying hands. Its presence in the collection revealed Edmondson's breadth in subject matter as well as his sculptural talent. Its return to its owner dramatizes the one area—Edmondson's faith—that is no longer represented in the collection.

In 1993, a remarkable donation from the Salvatore Formosa Sr. family (assisted by Dr. Benjamin Caldwell) effectively elevated the museum's holdings into a major collection with the masterpiece Bess and Joe, as well as Eagle and Horse, the first animals to enter the collection. This donation is dramatically different from the gifts of earlier decades. Edmondson's work was commanding significant attention from dealers, particularly after the 1982 Corcoran exhibition and the overheated art market of the 1980s, which sought out "authentic" artists, such as the self-taught, over the cynical postmodern firebrands. In one of Edmondson's most endearing sculptures, Bess and Joe, the subjects sit as they might on a park bench, casually taking in a Sunday afternoon—but with a stately dignity that renders them the quintessential majestic couple. Senior Curator Celia Walker shepherded the next entry into the collection—Sophia Ezzell Dobson's 1993 gift of Birdbath. Birdbaths by Edmondson are extraordinary works demonstrating the sculptor's ingenuity for construction and composition. Edmondson did not merely

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 35

BESS AND JOE n.d. Limestone 16/ 1 4 r 20/ 1 4 10" Cheeluvood Museum of Art, Nashville, gift of Salvatore Formosa Sr., Mrs. Pete Formosa Sr., and Mrs. Rose Formosa Bromley and museum purchase through the Stallworth bequest In one of Edmondson's best-known works, this charming couple represents both a modest familiarity and a nonchalant nobility.

Harry Butler

decorate tombstones or "garden ornaments"; he established monuments to nature with wit and verve. Where a bowl of stone might have served merely as a water dispenser, Edmondson designed elaborate homages to a part of nature that was most respected within his community. Birds are fundamental to his community's folklore and number among his most repeated themes. The Dobson Birdbath represents one of two signed works by Edmondson—the other is a bird in a private collection—and the only signed work in his familiar block lettering style. The remarkable Whitlow Tombstone, a gift of Mrs. Sadie Whitlow Overton, represents the first gift to Cheekwood's Edmondson collection by an African American family. The tombstone had marked the grave of Overton's mother, Mary Alice Boleyjack Whitlow. Overton's father, the Reverend Alfred Whitlow, was related to Edmondson: the reverend's grandmother, Lucy Abbey, was a sister of William Edmondson's mother, Jane. Edmondson's trademark lettering and texturing is seen throughout the tombstone. The Whitlow Tombstone brought an important dimension to the collection by providing one of Edmondson's most imposing cemetery grave markers. In 1999, the Fletcher family made the single largest donation of Edmondsons in the museum's history with their generous gift of six complete works—Lion, Ram, Squirrel, Birdbath, Bird, and Bowl—and one pedestal midsection. All are of exquisite quality, but the Lion, Ram and Squirrel are exceptional in form and, most importantly, preserved in very good condition. Matriarch Gertrude

36 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Bosley Bowling Whitworth (1863-1962) employed Edmondson on the Whitland farm as a stonemason. In 1908 Edmondson left the farm to work for the Woman's Hospital. The late John Fletcher (whose wife was a granddaughter of Gertrude Whitworth) noted that Edmondson could "do anything with stone." Fletcher's children—Bee, John, and Whit—donated the collection in honor of their parents, John and Gertrude Fletcher. Combined, the Formosa and Fletcher gifts brought Cheekwood's collection into the realm of major significance. Dr. Benjamin Caldwell quickly followed the Fletcher donation with a contribution from his own collection, a large-scale Bowl, the first garden ornament of significance donated to the museum. The Caldwell gift cemented the collection's position as the largest in the country. Early in the museum's history, as chairman of its Fine Arts committee, Caldwell had been instrumental in fonning not only the Edmondson collection, but also the museum's other collections. Through the unselfish generosity of families like the Formosas, the Fletchers, and the Overtons, Cheekwood's Edmondson holdings have been transformed into the primary collection for the study and appreciation of one of America's most extraordinary sculptors, and a shrine to one of Nashville's best artists—if not the best.* Rusty Freeman is the associate curator ofthe Cheekwood Museum ofArt in Nashville and the curator ofthe traveling exhibition "The Art of William Edmondson."

NOTES 1 The catalog for this exhibition features essays by Dr. Robert Farris Thompson, Dr. Bobby Lovett, Judith McWillie, Dr. Grey Gundaker, and Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims. Thompson provides a rich overview on Edmondson and his relation to trans-African aesthetic currents, pulling together viewpoints from several of the catalog essayists. Lovett places Edmondson within the social context of Nashville and sketches its African American community at the turn of the century, establishing a pivotal understanding of the myriad influences on the artist and providing a cultural grounding for the other essayists; he also reconsiders the art through close visual examination and reveals connections within the community to some important personages, real and fictive. McWillie pictorially examines Edward Weston's and Louise Dahl-Wolfe's photographs of Edmondson's yard, graphically reconstructing the site and providing a sense of Edmondson's working environment and his hands-on relationship to his creations. Gundaker compares Edmondson's art to the social contexts of African American yards and cemeteries seen throughout the Southeast. Finally, Sims challenges existing critiques that limit Edmondson's work to exclusively spiritual explanations, reconsidering the visionary myth and resituating Edmondson within the canon of American art proper. 2 Robert Bishop and Jacqueline M. Atkins, Folk Art in American Life(New York: Viking Books, 1995), 156. 3 Edmondson's date of birth was unknown until Dr. Bobby Lovett, dean of arts and sciences at Tennessee State University, uncovered it in research for his essay "From Plantation to the City: William Edmondson and the AfricanAmerican Community," in The Art of William Edmondson (Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi and Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, 1999). 4 John Thompson,"Negro Stone Cutter Here Says Gift From Lord; Work Praised," Nashville Tennessean, 9 Feb. 1941, 11A. See Robert Storr,"Between a Rock and a Hard Place," The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Paper Series on the Arts, Culture, and Society, www.warholfoundation.org/article3.htm. 6 Regenia A. Perry,"William Edmondson," Free Within Ourselves: African-American Artists in the Collection of the National Museum ofAmerican Art(Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1992),67. 7 Louise LeQuire,"Nashville and Will Edmondson: A Tribute," William Edmondson A Retrospective (Nashville: Tennessee Arts Commission, 1981), 44. 8 Louise Cowan, The Fugitive Group: A Literary History (Baton Rouge,La.: Louisiana State University Press, 1959), 17. 9 Ibid., 32. 10 Per correspondence with Archer Locke Gallery, Atlanta, June 1997.

he Museum of American Folk The Art of William Art's Contemporary Center is Edmondson proud to present"The Art of William Edmondson." The On View at the exhibition opens at the Museum of Museum's Eva and Morris Feld American Folk Art Gallery, on Columbus Avenue,on Saturday, May 20—August 27, May 20,and will be on view through Sunday, August 27. For information on exhibition pro2000 gramming and free public lectures, please call the Museum's Education Department at 212/977-7170. Organized by Nashville's Cheekwood Museum of Art, and featuring 40 sculptures and 40 historical photographs,"The Art of William Edmondson" is the first full-scale retrospective of the artist's work in more than 19 years. Curator Rusty Freeman challenges existing scholarship and presents new interpretations that relocate Edmondson's sculpture within the cultural milieu of its maker's time. William Edmondson (1874-1951) was born of former slaves and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1929, Edmondson lost his job as a hospital orderly and, inspired by religious visions, began carving tombstones for the two African American cemeteries in Nashville. Using a handmade chisel, he created his exquisite sculptures from limestone blocks, discarded from demolished buildings. In 1937, he was the first African American artist to be featured in a solo exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. "The Art of William Edmondson" is on view at the Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, through April 23. After its run at the Museum of American Folk Art, the exhibition will be presented at The Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, New York,(September 23,2000— January 7, 2001); the High Museum of Art Folk Art and Photography Galleries, Atlanta,(February 24—May 20, 2001); and The Mennello Museum of American Folk Art, Orlando, Florida,(June 2—August 26, 2001). The 256-page exhibition catalog, published by the University Press of Mississippi, and featuring 210 illustrations, is available at the Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop,2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th Streets, New York. For mail order information, please call 212/496-2966.

The New York presentation of "The Art of William Edmondson" is made possible by

TIME WARNER with additional support from The Shirley Schlafer Foundation.

William Edmondson in a well-known c. 1936 photograph by Louise Dahl-Wolfe. The Philadelphia Museum of Art's Miss Louisa is behind him.

Findinc th6 IVIssing Van

Car VVOrrors Bo e \A/ Tsles By Susan D. Jones

PETER BOEVERS BAKERY Maywood, Cook County, Illinois Dated 1907 Unidentified bottle with wood, paper, and paint 5/ 1 2 11 , 4/ 1 2" deep Collection of the author The original bottle was broken, allowing a great opportunity to study Womer's whittling ability. The crowns of the bakers' paper hats are tom or missing, but all of them have hat brims. The paper forming the back of the scene is a print of the Rathaus in Munich. Notice the tiny bride and (headless) groom on the wedding cake.

38 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Detail of PETER BOEVERS BAKERY, signature "Carl Worner Maker"

man walks into a bar This sounds like the opening of a bad joke, but it is how the story of Carl Worner begins. Worner probably walked into a bar every day of his working life, but he didn't usually buy his drinksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;he bartered for them. For beer or whiskey and perhaps a good cigar, Worner took an empty bottle, some scrap wood, a bit of paint and some glitter, and assembled a saloon scene, piece by piece, inside the bottle.

The missing man. The signature feature of his work is the puzzle he made in almost every saloon bottle: the "missing man." While the scene viewed from the front has a bartender, tables and chairs, patrons raising steins of beer, and boxes of Cuban cigars behind the bar, an additional figure—often no more than a torso and head—is tucked away in a cubbyhole under the floor. A sign in front challenges, "Find the Missing Man." If the bartender placed the bottle in a customer's hand in a certain way, the hidden figure would be obscured from view, thus making a game or even a bar wager over solving Worner's riddle. Undoubtedly, these bottles were the pride of their owners—to this day, they are generally treasured by the original owners' descendants. The true "missing man" in this story is Carl Worrier himself. Despite his being such a prolific artist—fortyseven bottles have been located—we know almost nothing about him. What makes searching for him so difficult, but also so rewarding, is that he turned up in so many different places between 1900 and 1919: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Missouri, and Illinois, especially around Chicago. The artist himself isn't listed in either the U.S. censuses or city directories of the period. The number of cities he visited suggests that he might have worked UNNAMED SALOON the railroads, coastal BOTTLE and Great Lakes Possibly central shipping, or the Pennsylvania n.d. canals. He may also Quart liquor bottle, embossed "Hartman," have worked shipwood, paper ping coal, since he decorations, and paint left bottles in coal12'3 x 3" deep mining areas in Collection of the author both Illinois and Pennsylvania. In all This is a typical likelihood, he slept Wonwr saloon bottle. It includes a hidden in the saloons, man and a sign which often had reading "Find the Missing Man." beds for temporary

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boarders. From what we can tell, he was almost constantly on the move; he could easily have been missed by the official head counters.

Detail of SALOON BOTTLE Possibly made for Frank Bold Chicago n.d. Seltzer bottle with wood, paint, paper, and wallpaper 14 5" diameter Private collection

fixion scene, a very common folk bottle form with origins in Germany and central Europe. It has three crosses, fairly plainly carved, with a figure of Christ on the central cross. A much larger head-and-shoulders picture of the Virgin Mary is glued to the bottom of the cross. The bottle itself is older than the others and not a liquor bottle. It is painted three-fourths around the outside with a red and black design with gold accents, leaving a window through which the shrinelike scene can be viewed. It is signed "Chas Worner HANAU A MAIN—in reference to the city of Hanau on the Main River (Hanau-am-Main) in Germany, now a suburb of Frankfurt (Frankfurtam-Main.) Did he bring the bottle with him from Germany? Or did he make it on his way over to America? Why Chas instead of the usual Carl? Typical of the mysteries of this man, this clue leaves us with more questions than answers.

Born in Germany. The bottles tell us something about the life of Carl Worner, even if we can't pin him down in a directory. We also have four anecdotes, passed down in the families of bottle owners that match each other even in the details: Worner was a hobo (although one of the family stories says he worked odd jobs), an immigrant from Germany, and he patronized saloons and other businesses owned by German immigrants. One of his bottles also tells us his place of origin—it is signed "Carl W6rner GERMANY"(although he usually signed his name "Carl Worner," he occasionally spelled it with the umlaut). Standing as further evidence of his nativity is a poem in one of his saloon scenes: "Wer nicht webt Bier, Wein, Weib und Gesang der Bleibt emn narr Sein leben gang"("Who First stop, Chicago. A number of does not love beer, wine, women and Worner's bottles were made in song remains a fool his whole life Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, long"). In this same bottle, he says such as Maywood and Blue Island. "Fine Wein" and "Imported Bier," According to one of the firsthand using the German spelling of "wine" bottle-owner accounts, Worner had and "beer." In a bakery-in-a-bottle, something to do with Chicago's Worner added: "Gemacht bei Her- Columbian Exposition of 1893, permann Domke, Blikersgeselle" ("made haps serving as a laborer with the Gerat the home of Hermann Domke, man delegation. One of his most elaborate saloon bottles was made in journeyman baker"). 1900 for Sven MeIlin, a Swedish Engknew also he Obviously, lish. On the back of a bottle dated immigrant in Chicago who had a hunt1909, he wrote,"The work was put in ing-fishing lodge in nearby McHenry through the neck of the bottle." In a County, north of the city. It was not a 1915 scene of a shoe-repair shop, he public saloon, however; only the wrote, "Only the best materials we Swede's friends were invited. How use." And in a cigar-factory depiction, did Worner know MeIlin? Was he wrote, "Smoke A Good Cigar Worner invited? We don't know. Every Day You Have No Doctor Bill To Pay." He liked the idea of avoiding East Coast. West Coast? A large the doctor: In two other shoemaker saloon bottle dated 1901 was made for bottles, he wrote,"A Good Shoe Will a tavern in Havre-de-Grace, MarySave You A Doctor Bill." He was also land, the port at the end of the Susquefluent enough in English to make hanna River. The signature reads jokes, such as writing "Find Bill "Charles Warner The Master Whittler Sturm" instead of the usual "Find the New York San Francisco Honolulu." Missing Man" in one bottle, and "Poor Here Worner Americanizes his name. Carl becomes Charles and Worner Butch" on a man's chair in another. becomes Warner. Did he work on the were know we bottles the all Of made by Worner, only one veers from large commercial ships traveling the his usual depictions of everyday life. Pacific? Or was this braggadocio? To This bottle, which provides another date, no bottles have been found in clue to his origins, contains the Cruci- California or Hawaii.

And all places in between. Worner was busy between 1907 and 1909: He made bottles in Chicago, St. Louis, north central Illinois, and near Buffalo. In 1911, he made a bottle near WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania; in 1912, he was in Granite City, Illinois, a river town across the Mississippi from St. Louis; and in 1915 he made another bottle in St. Louis. Several of his undated bottles come from these same areas, with the largest number being from Chicago. The latest dated bottle was an office scene made in either Chicago or Fort Wayne,Indiana,in 1919. With Prohibition right around the corner, it is possible that Worner left the United States in 1919 and went to Canada. But there is no evidence of this, and no bottles have been found there. It is more likely that the artist died soon after 1919. A distinctive style. Carl Worner's artwork is instantly recognizable, regardless of when or where he made it. All the bottles contain figures whittled from quarter- or eighth-inch thick pieces of wood, then rounded and shaped. They usually have movable arms made of thinner slices of wood pinned on at the shoulder. The people are always painted, with the men wearing suits and ties and the women in floor-length street dresses with painted decoration. The bartenders invariably have a thin mustache, a black bow tie, and a smile. Sometimes the men in the saloons wear hats, as in a bottle made for a bar in Spring Valley, Illinois, which is in coal country: All of the patrons at the bar are wearing mining helmets.(In this case, he also provided a sort of title—a caption over the bar reads "Mattie E. Hayden Coal Miner's Headquarter [sic].") In a bottle made in Dunkirk, New York, on the Lake Erie shore, a region that was essentially farm country, Worner had one smiling beer drinker wear a large yellow straw hat, and in a bottle made for a city saloon, he gave one of his rare female figures an elaborate chapeau with a large carved feather. He furnished the scenes with tables and chairs, which he outlined in ink on the wood before he cut them out as simple shapes. He put his real talent to work in the details: tiny hams, plates of cheese, and loaves of

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 41

bread being sliced. In a few scenes, he even put paintings on the walls. In the bakery bottle, the detailing of the food is particularly fine. The structure of the actual "room" is also similar from one bottle to another: a base piece, often decorated with paint and ink lines or glitter, sits in the bottom of the bottle facing front. Behind this is the cubicle for the hidden man. Over the cubicle are the floor pieces. The backdrop of the room is glued to a long vertical support running up the back. In the saloon scenes, rows of tiny whittled bottles and squares labeled "Cigars" are arrayed at the back. When Worner worked on a bottle with some depth, he built real shelves behind the bartender for the cigars, bottles, and occasional small kegs. His tableaux usually feature potted trees, whittled with curled edges and painted green. When Worrier worked in larger bottles, he added even more details. In at least three saloon bottles, all over fourteen inches tall, men sit at a table playing cards. In one, a cat sleeps curled up on the floor, and in another a cat is on a stairway going to the "basement" level. In all three, the stairs going down below the floor level lead to toilet stalls with men sitting and standing in them. He made no attempt to hide a "missing man." In one, he made two separate priviesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;men's and Detail JOHN women'sâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and NEUBAUER SALOON put a woman in BOTTLE: The Missing Man the proper stall. The figure is 1" high, 1/2" wide, and about Most of the thick in a niche time, Worner 'A" about/ 1 2" deep. made a sign naming the recipient of A tiny half-figure like this one hides in an the bottle, which open niche under the was sometimes the floor in most of owner of the Womer's saloon bottles. The "Missing establishment and Men" are hard to find sometimes just an and difficult to photograph. A man employee. Tracing who found a Worner these names has bottle in a St. Louis junk shop spent an given us many entire evening in a clues to the artist's local hotel trying to travels, find the hidden figure.

42 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

JOHN NEUBAUER SALOON HOULE Chicago n.d. Quart liquor bottle with wood, cardboard, and paint 1 2x 2/ 1 2" deep 10/ 1 2x 4/ Collection of the author This typifies one kind of building style Worner frequently used. Although this bottle contains a hidden man, there is no sign saying "Find the Missing Man."

11,1mel

EARLY RELIGIOUS BOTTLE Possibly Germany or at sea n.d. Bottle with wood, paper, and paint 10 3" diameter Private collection Worner's only known religious bottle is signed with his name and "HANU A MAIN," which refers to the German city of that name. The workmanship is not as detailed, but the outside of the bottle is painted very skillfully. This bottle dates probably to much earlier than the other bottles illustrated in this essay.

BERGHOFF BREWING ASSOCIATION OFFICE Chicago or Fort Wayne, Indiana 1919 Bottle stamped "Quart Full Measure," wood, paint, and paper 10 4' -1 2-" deep Collection of the author

CIGAR FACTORY Chicago n.d. Signed -Carl Worner New York Chicago Illinois" Large bottle with wood and paint 19 6" diameter Private collection

The man at the desk is labeled "Poor Butch." This is the only Worner office scene yet to be found.

Worrier clearly loved a good cigarâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;cigars are depicted in all of his saloon bottles. Al 19", this is the largest known Worner work.

Detail from !ZEN SHOEMAKER'S BOTTLE Chicago 1907 Wood, paper, paint, and thread 15 5/ 3 4" diameter Private collection A depiction of two shoemakers at work, surrounded by dozens of pairs of tiny shoes. The shop owner's 14-yearold son watched the bottle being made, a process that took Worner an entire day. The bottle was exchanged for a pair of shoes.

Beyond saloons. Although the majority of Womer's bottles depict saloons, he also portrayed other scenes, including at least two meat markets, with hanging sides of beef, aproned butchers, and women customers; a cigar factory; three shoerepair shops; a watchmaker's shop; two family scenes, with people sitting around a dining table; and a bakery. All but one of these is constructed like the saloon bottles; only the bakery scene is aligned on the horizontal. One of the shoe-repair shop bottles, made in Chicago in 1907, was traded to the shoemaker for a pair of shoes, according to the present owner of the bottle. This fits in well with the stories of the descendants of saloon owners who got their bottles as payment of Womer's bar tab. We can infer that Worner also bartered his bottles for bread, sausage, cigars, a watch, and possibly room and board. We may never know the truth about the selfproclaimed "Master Whittler." The pages of the New York, Newark, Chicago, and St. Louis city directories list no Carl Womers, but several Charles Warners. Did he anglicize his name, or did the officials do it for him? Or did he move around so much that he never got counted? However mysterious the details of his life, his art lives beyond all the conjecture. The smiling bartenders, the beer-toting patrons frozen in conversation, the little men hiding under the floor, the happy families at dinner, the busy bakers, the hardworking cobblers, and the proud butchers have been found, all telling something about their creator, but Carl Worner himself remains at large. He left a trail of bottles behind him, calling out to "Find the Missing Man."*

Susan D. Jones has been collecting bottle whimsiesfor eight years. She became interested in Carl Worner after discovering the existence ofa large number of his bottles. Jones retiredfrom teaching computer studies, humanities, and art history to high school students, and now spends her time conducting researchfor a book on bottle whimsies. She maintains a web site (http:/lwww.sdjones.net/Folk Art/) devoted to this art.

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 45

Amenca Garde fl

Ls Design Parallels and Preferences in the Nineteenth Century By Susan Curtis, Carolyn Ducey, and Patricia Cox Crews

mong the most pervasive influences on the lives of nineteenthcentury women were gardening and floriculture. A love of natural beauty was expressed through planting of lush gardens and reflected in quilts featuring similar floral elements. The imagery of nineteenth-century quilts is as unique as one's favorite garden patch, yet the various styles and design choices of quiltmalcers parallel the larger trends of society. With the advent of the machine age and the shift in population from rural to urban areas, women found themselves with more leisure time and new social expectations. Instead of participating in the physical production of food and textiles, women became consumers of goods and services. Increasing numbers of women cultivated flower gardens to ben-

A 46 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

CRAZY QUILT Maker unknown Possibly Indiana c.1880-1900 Silk No quilting 70 x 70" Ardis and Robert James Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraskaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lincoln, 1997.007.284

COCKSCOMB QUILT Maker unknown Possibly Cumberland, Ohio C. 1850-1860 Cotton Quilting stitches per inch:9 96 96" Ardis and Robert James Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 1997.007.075

POTS OF FLOWERS QUILT Maker unknown Possibly Ohio c. 1860-1880 Cotton Quilting stitches per inch: 11 811 / 2 80/ 1 2" Ardis and Robert lames Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 1997.007.243

efit from the genteel exercise gardening provided. Many women also gardened and studied botany to fill their leisure time with productive activity and to better understand the spirituality of nature. The growing middle class believed that the responsibility for the family's moral, spiritual, and educational growth lay within the woman's realm. A doctrine of natural theology, prevalent throughout the century, promoted the idea that to understand nature was to understand God. Influential writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau promoted gardening as a means to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Various other authors extolled gardening as an important activity for all Americans. Walter Elder, for example, stressed in his 1848 publication, The Cottage Garden of America, that gardens were important because they were "reforming and moralizing to the young" and because they "exalt the national character." Consequently, increasing numbers of women not only took up gardening, but also began to incorporate floral designs into their quilts and other household furnishings, believing that this demonstrated moral and spiritual enlightenment, as well as cultivated taste. A number of other factors also contributed to the rising interest in flower gardens. The discovery of an increasing number of medical cures meant that women no longer had to focus their gardening efforts on the cultivation of medicinal plants. Also pivotal was the importation of South American and Mexican "tropical" plants, such as nasturtiums and zinnias. Plants found in Asia also became favorites of American gardeners. Although plant collecting in China did not begin until approximately 1840, hundreds of plants from the area soon became standards in American gardens, including roses, azaleas, lilies, primroses, and rhododendrons. The new flowers created a

taste for brilliantly colored, exotic flower beds. The development of the mailorder business increased the availability of a wide variety of plants. The numerous seeds available were relatively inexpensive, so gardeners were able to replant flowers each year. Soon after the first mail-order seed company opened in 1806, cockscomb, impatiens, and four-o'clocks began filling flower beds with vibrant colors. As exotic flowers became popular for garden beds, designs based on them also began to appear in the quilts of the time. For example, see Cockscomb Quilt with tulip border, featuring a tall undulating green leaf that contrasts with red cockscomb

flowers. The oversized tulips sewn in the border of the quilt were favorites of both gardeners and quiltmakers. The Pots of Flowers Quilt features large pink and red flowers that may be adaptations of the Oriental poppy. Each flower and stem is surrounded by red and green berries. In the outer border, a smaller version of the pot is used to frame the oversize plants in the body of the quilt. Bulbs and tuberous flowers also gained in popularity and were planted in mass beds. Tulips and narcissus quickly became popular items of commerce in American garden nurseries. By the end of the nineteenth century, the Linnaean Garden in Flushing, New York, produced about

six hundred varieties of tulips.2 Dahlias, another Mexican import, became all the rage for nineteenthcentury gardeners. In fact, by the middle of the century, garden catalogs devoted more space to varieties of dahlias than to any other species. Dahlias remained the most popular flowers for massing in beds throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. Today there are more than two thousand varieties available. The Baskets of Flowers Quilt contains a variety of flowers, including one—the large center bloom—that looks like an adaptation of a dahlia. It is shown, however, on the same stem as star flowers, tulips, roses, and berries. Both the green berries growing on the stem rising out of the basket, and those trailing from the vine in the outer border, are stuffed with extra batting for a three-dimensional effect. The quiltmaker incorporated both new green berries and ripe red ones in the border, whereas the four large baskets hold only unripened berries. The quilting designs used on the Baskets of Flowers Quilt also feature numerous varieties of flowers and leaves set among feathered wreaths and trefoils. Most of the quilting designs reflect the same shapes that the maker used on her large appliquéd plant—tulips, star flowers, oak leaves, and even a few random berries. In addition, large numbers of quilted hearts, each formed with a double row of stitches, are sprinkled among the lush garden. Italian, French, Dutch, and English gardens also influenced nineteenth-century American gardens and quilts. Americans regarded these as the epitome of style, and strove to duplicate them throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Design preferences for nineteenth-century flower quilts show striking similarities to the preferred design formats of nineteenth-century gardens. For example, during the first half of the nineteenth century, broderie perse quilts those constructed from cut-out

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 49

52 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

ALBUM QUILT Maker unknown Possibly Pennsylvania c. 1830-1860 Cotton Quilting stitches per inch: 8 98 > 97" Ardis and Robert lames Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 1997.007.890

chintz motifs appliquéd to a white background (see Center Medallion Style Quilt with Cut-out Chintz Appliqué, left)---exhibit similarities to parterre de broderie style gardens, in which serpentine beds were cut into an expanse of lawn and filled with shrubs or flowers. The garden style was meant to imitate Oriental carpets and luxurious embroideries. The name broderie perse references Persian embroidery and is believed to be a twentiethcentury name for this style of quilt,3 but it is interesting to note that a related term was used in the nineteenth century to describe a garden style. In both the parterre de broderie garden and the broderie perse quilt, the designer incorporated groups of flowers onto a plain background to represent another art form. This elegant broderie perse quilt features vibrant cut-out chintz flowers and wreaths artfully arranged and appliquéd across the surface of the quilt and complemented by quilted floral sprays in the corner of each block. Within one appliquéd wreath, the maker quilted a tiny basket of flowers. The remaining background space is filled with echo quilting. Diagonal lines of stitching are used in the outer border. Note the youthful image of Queen Victoria that is the central focus of the quilt. In 1841, A.J. Downing published A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Adapted to North America; with a View to the Improvement of Country Residences. In this book he described and commended a new English garden design called the gardenesque style. Downing described the style as one in which "every tree and shrub should stand singly; as in the geometrical manner they should stand in regular lines." More important, they must all work together in the landscape to create a unified whole. He explained that the object is "to produce highly elegant and polished forms.' His description of gardenesque style parallels that of album quilts, in which the quiltmaker strives to provide an overall feeling of a harmonious whole from quilt blocks of dissimilar design. Album quilts,

like the one illustrated, were most popular between approximately 1840 and 1860. These quilts were not created for everyday use. More often, they were presentation quilts and, like the gardenesque style of gardening, they exemplified some of the most exquisite artisanship of the period. A variety of different patterns, constructed with different techniques, combine to create an elegant whole in this Album Quilt. Some blocks feature cut-out chintz designs; others display calico fabrics cut into botanically inspired shapes and appliquéd to the surface. Some of the cut-out chintz

ric. Quilting stitches that echo the shape of the chain look like ripples extending the width of the border. The body of the quilt is stitched with a diagonal line. In 1827, Gardener's Magazine published highlights of R.R. Reinagle's lecture entitled "Original Beauty of Lines and Forms" in which the author described general design theory and form; the editors of Gardener's provided corollaries to gardening. Parallels can be observed in quilt designs of the mid-nineteenth century. Reinagle's essay builds on the axiom that every beautiful object is characterized

blocks show unusual imagery. In the top row, musicians lead an elephant carrying an exotically dressed man in an elaborate saddle, or howdah. In the same row, men travel on foot under a swaying palm tree. In the bottom row, a stately camel carrying a flag-toting man is accompanied by musicians. These blocks reflect the interest that nineteenth-century Western society held for the Orient and its fascinating cultures. The remaining blocks in this album quilt are a combination of pieced and appliquéd patterns, all framed within a chain that is sewn on each side from one long length of fab-

as "something that is a well-ordered whole, in opposition to something that is in a state of chaos or confusion."' Both gardeners and quilters followed this axiom until the last quarter of the century. To illustrate one point of his theory, Reinagle explains that straight lines radiating from a center point or object form a pleasing shape; even more visually pleasing are curving lines radiating from the center. Both types of radiating lines are commonly seen in nineteenth-century floral quilts such as the Rose ofSharon Quilt, estimated to have been made between 1850 and 1870. This quilt fea-

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 53

tures sets of radiating lines. The buds are appliquĂŠd with a subtle tilt that directs the eye from one to the next, creating a circle that encloses each motif. As Reinagle recommended, this pattern is precisely ordered: Each floral motif is an eight-pointed star. The eight points are repeated in the red petals of the center flower and in the leaves and buds that protrude from it. A smaller version of the red flowers is used in the outer border of the quilt. The last quarter of the nineteenth century witnessed a dramatic change in the preferred design aesthetics of both gardening and quilting. In the garden, naturalistic, asymmetrical formats replaced formal arrangements, and gardeners came to favor hardy native plants over tender foreign species. Many scholars attribute the impetus for this change to the Japanese exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition.6 Interest in Japanese art was enhanced by America's fascination with Japanese philosophy. Western social critics and interior designers promoted the Japanese decorative style by arguing that Japanese art embodied ideals similar to those of the West and that Japanese art would therefore enhance a Christian home. In quilts, the influence of the Japanese style could be seen in the asymmetrical, randomly sized pieces of

the popular crazy quilts and in the realistically rendered floral embellishments used to decorate the surface. This realism in crazy quilts contrasts with the pieced and appliqued quilts created in the first three-quarters of the nineteenth century. Earlier quilts frequently contain motifs that mix different species of blooms and leaves, or even different petals and leaves, on the same plant. In addition, the makers of earlier quilts often stylized their floral motifs to such an extent that the species are not easily identifiable today, not even by a botanist or horticultural expert.' The Crazy Quilt shown on page 47 features recognizable plants that were popular in both American gardens and quilts: three-dimensional roses, a glowing goldenrod plant, and a plush cockscomb. Daisies, cattails, and water lilies are also accurately rendered. Many of these plants were taken from Japanese designs, where they were realistically re-created as well. Other common elements, such as fans and butterflies, also reflect Japanese style. In this crazy quilt, the maker used a number of different techniques to create the many flowers. The roses in the center of the quilt were made with ribbon embroidery, in which ribbons are twisted or folded to create an accurate appearance, then stitched

down. Painted flowers and embroidered flowers are also found on the quilt. A number of the embroidered images are stitched with a plush thread that gives the flowers depth. These techniques allow for finer detail and realism than did the earlier applique or geometric piecing techniques. Just as the popular press began calling for the end of the crazy quilt fad by the late nineteenth century, garden designers began advocating a return to more formal, controlled gardens. Novelist and gardener Edith Wharton launched a campaign to redesign both American home interiors and gardens. She despised the Victorian excess in decorating and gardening and advocated a return to classical, minimalist designs. Nevertheless, the popularity of both crazy quilts and naturalistic gardens endured into the twentieth century. It is clear from this brief overview of American gardening and quilting trends that nineteenth-century women found ample sources of gardening information and flowers from which to draw inspiration for both their gardens and their quilt designs. In addition, scientists, theologians, and popular authors of the period bombarded society with treatises, sermons, and other writings extolling the virtues of women who understood floriculture and incorporated floral designs into their homes. As a result, many women embraced the study of plants and the art and practice of gardening as the basis for spiritual and intellectual improvement. It is also evident from the number of surviving nineteenth-century quilts with floral themes that many women chose to demonstrate their virtuousness, cultivated taste, and needlework skills through quiltmaking. As a result, nineteenth-century floral quilts offer us not only a beautiful tradition of women's art, but also a glimpse of the way women incorporated society's values and aesthetic preferences into their masterpieces. Note: This article is excerpted and adapted from the exhibition catalog Fanciful Flowers: Botany and the American Quilt,

54 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

BASKETS OF FLOWERS QUILT Maker unknown Possibly Pennsylvania or Ohio c. 1860-1880 Cotton Quilting stitches per inch: 8 80 87" Ardis and Robert James Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraskaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lincoln, 1997.007.013

ROSE OF SHARON QUILT Maker unknown Possibly Pennsylvania c. 1850-1870 Cotton Quitting stitches per inch: 9 85 , 84" Ardis and Robert James Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraskaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lincoln, 1997.007.539

.....mmummumumminl Patricia Cox Crews, ed.(Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, in press). The exhibit of the same name is currently on view at the Cooper Gallery, University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, where thirteen quilts drawn from the Ardis and Robert James Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraskaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lincoln are showcased every six months. The show opened in February 1999 and will be on view through January 2001. All photos in this essay are courtesy of the International Quilt Study Center.*

Susan Curtis was a consulting curatorfor the exhibition "Fanciful Flowers: Botany and the American Quilt," and an invited contributor to the exhibition catalog. Carolyn Ducey is curator ofthe International

Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska. Patricia Cox Crews is professor oftextiles and director ofthe International Quilt Study Center. NOTES 1 In Ann Leighton, American Gardens of the Nineteenth Century (Amherst, Mass.: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1987), 81. 2 Leighton, op. cit., 316. 3 Gloria Seaman Allen, Curator, DAR Museum,as cited in Ellen F. Eanes et al., North Carolina Quilts(Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1988), 39. 4 Review of A Treatise on the Theory and Practice ofLandscape Gardening, Adapted to North America; with a View to the Improvement of Country Residences, by A.J. Downing, The Gardener's Magazine, Vol. XVII(September 1841), 472-473. 5 R.R. Reinagle,"Original Beauty of

Lines and Forms," The Gardener's Magazine, Vol. DI(November 1827), 248. 6 Jane C. Brown,"'Fine Arts and Fine People': The Japanese Taste in the American Home, 1876-1916," in Making the American Home: Middle-Class Women and Domestic Material Culture 1840-1940, Marilyn F. Motz and Pat Browne, eds.(Bowling Green: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1988), 121-122; Wendy Kaplan, "The Art that is Life:" The Arts and Crafts Movement in America, 1875-1920(Boston: Little, Brown, 1987), 150; Charlotte Gere and Michael Whiteway,Nineteenth-Century Design: From Pugin to Mackintosh(New York: Abrams, 1994), 158. 7 Correspondence with Margaret Bolick, curator of botany, University of Nebraska State Museum,and Linda Rader,collections manager botany, University of Nebraska State Museum, 1997-1998.

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 55

MASTERPIECE AUCTION Featuring Select Pieces from The Chuck & Jan Rosenak Collection 50 MASTERPIECES BY: Ono cacF.15-70UT.Ar.? — 4hr. a0S William Blayney *•*44.' * CAM (ib. n. J- JrkTar, Josephus Farmer llni Y Edgar Tolson Nellie Mae Rowe Sister Gertrude Morgan Vestie Davis Sam Doyle Toni #81 Lanier Meaders xa.:39 r t, Uncle Pete Drgac Clementine Hunter William Dawson William Owens ' David Butler / Elijah Pierce LAY N EY S Felipe Archuleta 4: 6; • 001'd Steve Ashby LL RICM to SPIRITUAL CAP A Henry Ray Clark RESERVED Andrea Badami Herman Bridgers Cur' THE t UKE ac1,34-97 Charlie Lucas Howard Finster

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June 24 & 25, Sat. & Sun. 10-5 Admission $7 - with card/ad $6 Early Buying Sat. 8-10 A.M. Adm. $20

"The Meadows" North of Wilton High School

Route 7- Wilton, Conn. A unique assemblage of 200 exhibitors offering AUTHENTIC ANTIQUES, in room settings, under tents, in a meadow in WILTON — renowned for quality shows. • Country and period formal American & European furniture • Folk art • American Indian arts • Ceramics • American Arts and Crafts • 20th century design • Silver, Jewelry • Decorative arts • Garden and architecturals • Vintage toys WILTON redefines "outdoor show"... It is the "indoor show" held outdoors.

AMERICAN CRAFTSMANSHIP at its best... Traditional crafts,folk art and fine furniture ****

The Historical Society of Delaware American Masters Show It will not take place in 2000(venue not available) but will return in May 2001 to the U.S.A. Riverfront Arts Center in Wilmington,DE ****

Americana Artisans at Hancock Shaker Village July 8 & 9 Junction of Routes 20 & 41,Pittsfield, Mass. ****

Wilton Historical Society Celebration of American Craftsmanship November 11 & 12 Wilton High School Field House Route 7,Wilton, Conn. **** These premier events showcase the finest in collector quality traditional and contemporary folk arts featuring the work of many of the nations most talented artisans exhibiting in gallery or room settings. Produced by Marilyn Gould

Produced by Marilyn Gould Only 50 miles from New York City • Merritt Parkway: Exit 39B from the west. Exit 41 from the east • 1-95: Exit 15, north 8 miles • 1-84: Rt. 7, south 12 miles • Metro North railroad to Cannondale Station

MCG Antiques Promotions 10 Chicken St., Wilton, Conn.06897

(203)762-3525

MCG Antiques Promotions 10 Chicken St., Wilton, Conn.06897 (203)762-3525

BOOKS

INTEREST

he following recent titles are available at the Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop, 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue, between 65th and 66th Streets, New York City. To order, please call 212/496-2966. Museum members receive a 10 percent discount.

The Art of William Edmondson, Cheekwood Museum of Art/University Press of Mississippi, 2000, 256 pages, paperback,$30 Bill Traylor(1854-1949), Deep Blues, Josef Helfenstein and Roman Kurzmeyer, eds., Yale University Press, 1999, 192 pages, paperback, $29.95 By Hand by Dan, Jonathan Demme and Pebo Voss, eds., Kaliko, 1999,63 pages, paperback, $15 The Cast-OffRecast: Recycling and the Creative Transformation ofMassProduced Objects, Timothy Corrigan Correll and Patrick Arthur Polk, eds., UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1999, 148 pages, paperback,$29 Illinois Jacquard Coverlets and Weavers: End ofa Legacy, Nancy Iona Glick and Katherine H. Molumby, Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1999, 74 pages, paperback, $25 The Intuitive Eye: The Mendelsohn Collection, Ricco/ Maresca Gallery/Fotofolio, 2000,94 pages, paperback, $30 James Castle 1900-1977, J. Crist Gallery, 1999,43 pages, paperback, $17

James Castle & the Book, Tom Trusky, Idaho Center for the Book, 1999, 18 pages, paperback, with a set of six hand-sewn facsimiles of Castle books, $19.95 The Kingdoms ofEdward Hicks, Carolyn J. Weekley, Abrams, 1999, 312 pages, hardcover, $39.95 Millennial Dreams: Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art, Gerard C. Wertkin, Museum of American Folk Art, 1999,40 pages, paperback,$10 Ray Gun, Eugene W. Metcalf and Frank Maresca, Fotofolio, 1999, 130 pages, hardcover, $19.95 Self Taught, Outsider, and Folk Art: A Guide to American Artists, Locations and Resources, Betty-Carol Sellen with Cynthia J. Johanson, McFarland, 1999, 368 pages, paperback, $39.95 Self-Taught, Outsider, Art Brut: Masterpiecesfrom the Robert M. Greenberg Collection, Ricco/Maresca Gallery and The Robert M. Greenberg Collection, 1999, 87 pages, paperback, $25 They Taught Themselves, Sidney Janis, Sanford L. Smith & Associates, 1999 (reprint from 1942), 260 pages, paperback, $29.95 Wonders to Behold: The Visionary Art ofMyrtice West, Carol Crown, ed., Mustang Publishing, 1999, 144 pages, hardcover, $50

Card Grown

$50 • 144 pages • full-color throughout • ISBN 0-914457-99-3

Wonders to Behold The Visionary Art of Myrtice West Edited by Carol Crown Working in obscurity in rural Alabama for seven years, Myrtice West painted the entire Book of Revelation in 13 large paintings. Exhibited in public only twice, West's Revelation Series is the subject of a new book featuring essays by 17 renowned writers and artists, including Roger Manley, Torn Patterson, Lee Kogan, Charles Rosenak, Rebecca Hoffberger, Howard Finster, and Ann Oppenhimer. The definitive work on Myrtice West and apocalypticism among self-taught artists, Wonders to Behold will appeal to anyone fascinated by visionary art and the current furor about the new millennium. "Myrtice West's remarkable painting satisfies intellectually as well as spiritually and aesthetically." — Roger Manley

SPECIAL OFFER FOR READERS OF FOLK ART:

Myrtice West will sign and number a limited, collector's edition of 500 copies, to be sold on a first-come basis. TO: Mustang Publishing, PO Box 770426, Memphis, TN, 38177• USA copy(ies) of the signed and numbered edition of 0 Send Wonders to Behold at $100 each, postpaid. copy(ies) of Wonders to Behold at $55 each, postpaid. 0Send 0 Check or money order enclosed. I Charge my credit card: VISA o MasterCard Card # Name Address City Zip/Post Code

AMEX ODiscover Exp.

State Country

Credit card orders in the U.S. and Canada can call toll-free: 800-250-8713. Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 901-684-1200 or fax 901-684-1256.• Orders outside the U.S. and Canada, please odd $10 for shipping, and pay in U.S. funds.• Note: All books will ship by Nov. 1, 1999. If your order arrives after the 500 signed, numbered copies have been sold, we will automatically ship a regular book at the lower price. • Discounts available for retailers and libraries; please call for details.

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 61

MUSEUM

REPRODUCTIONS

PROGRAM American Pacific Enterprises, Block Party bedcover

ALICE J. HOFFMAN

MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART 419: 471 4 11 ;110 1 COLLECTION

Representing more than 300 years ofAmerican design,from the late 1600s to the present, the Museum ofAmerican Folk Art CollectionTm brings within reach ofthe public the very best ofthe past to be enjoyed for generations to come.

New Directions The Museum welcomes its newest licensee: *LiquidArt,Ltd. Smoke screen! LiquidArt, a publisher and distributor of digital art reproductions, has created a collection of screensavers featuring cigar-label art from the Museum's KaneGreenberg Collection. This collection of unique images from the past, complete with historical information, will soon be available to ensure that your computer screen is saved in an artful way.

following five designs available on the show is your favorite: Hower Patch, Star Log Cabin, Crystal Star, Feather Box,or Block Party. We'll feature the winner in our next column.

Newsfrom Museum Licensees Share our legacy; look for new products from our family of licensees, featuring unique designs inspired by objects from the Museum's collection.

*Mary Myers Studio Sold out! Mary Myers' home and studio were open this past December to participants in a "Christmas in the Country" charity house tour sponsored by the Cape Henry Woman's Club of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Museum's Santa Claus nutcracker by Mary was the featured raffle. It was the club's most successful raffle ever. In fact, they ran out of the 1,000 printed tickets and had to hand-write the rest. Mary is working on new designs for the year 2000. We'll feature them in upcoming columns.

* American Pacific Enterprises Cover up! New designs and timehonored favorites from the Museum's bedcover collection by American Pacific are now available from coast to coast. Contact American Pacific to find the store nearest you. Don't miss our next hourlong QVC folk art show in April. Elizabeth Warren, the Museum's quilt expert, consulting curator, and the author of Personality Decorating, coauthor of Glorious American Quilts, and text writer for Mary Emmerling's American Country, will share product information, pattern history, and decorating tips. Let us know by e-mail(licensing@ folkartmuseum.org) which of the

* Salamander Graphix,Inc. Sunburst showers! Salamander provides us with the perfect way to bring sunshine into rain-filled days. Inspired by the Museum's magnificent and historically important Sunburst Quilt, attributed to Rebecca Scattergood Saycry(1770-1855), Salamander has created the Sunburst umbrella. The striking visual effect of this umbrella reflects the more than 2,900 diamond-cut cotton pieces of various prints the quiltmaker joined to create the sunburst effect. The warm,honey-colored wooden handle of the umbrella complements the water-resistant printed fabric. Now available in the Museum's Book and Gift Shop.

62 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Dear Customer Your purchase of Museumlicensed products directly benefits the exhibition and educational activities of the Museum. Thank you for participating in the Museum's continuing efforts to celebrate the style, craft, and tradition of American folk art. If you have any questions or comments regarding the Museum of American Folk Art Collection,TM please contact us at 212/977-7170.

American

Pacific

customer

Family of Licensees AMCAL,Inc.(800/824-5879) year 2000 calendar.* American Pacific Enterprises (415/782-1250) quilts, shams, and pillows. Carvin Folk Art Designs,Inc.(212/755-6474) gold-plated and enameled jewelry.* Fotofolio (212/226-0923) art postcard books, wooden postcards, boxed note cards, and magnets.* Galloon (212/354-8840) boxed note cards.* Hermitage des Artistes(212/243-1007)tramp art objects.* Imperial Wallcoverings,Inc. (216/464-3700) wallpaper and borders. Limited Addition (800/268-9724) decorative accessories.* LiguldArt,Ltd.(312/644-0251) digital art reproduction screensavers Mary Myers Studio(800/829-9603) wooden nutcrackers, nodders, and tree ornaments.* Museum Masterpieces,Ltd.(617/923-1111) note cards, "notelets," jigsaw puzzles,journals, and gift bags.* Salamander Graphix,Inc. (800/451-5311) umbrellas, gifts, and accessories.* Takashlmaya Company,Ltd. (212/350-0550) home furnishings and decorative accessories (available only in Japan). Tyndale, Inc.(773/384-0800)lighting and lamp shades. Wild Apple Graphics,Ltd.(800/7568359)fine art reproduction prints and posters.* *Available in the Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop. For mail-order information, please call 212/496-2966.

Father Time Nutcracker, Gabriel Nutcracker, and Gabriel Tree Topper from Mary Myers Studio

MAY 21ST - 24TH 6TH ANNUAL

THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL

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Antique Fine Arts and Ancient Artifacts of Native Peoples from Africa, The Americas, Oceania, Asia & Australia" Opening Preview May 20th 6-9pm 50 International Dealers Exhibiting PARTIAL LIST Alaska On Madison, NY Steven G. Alpert, TX Arte lentil, CA Arte Y Ritual, Spain Joan Barist Primitive Art, NY Berber and Islamic Art, Morocco James Blackmon Gallery, CA Chinalai Tribal Antiques, NY Georgia Chrischilles, Belgium C.M.G. Books and Art, Canada Sam Coad, NY Conlon Siegal Galleries, NM Conru Primitive Art UK Joel Cooner Gallery, TX Dennis George Crow, CA Taylor Dale, NM Dimondstein Tribal Arts, CA Bruce Frank, NY Galerie Valluet-Ferrandin, France H. Malcolm Grimmer, NM Philippe Guimiot, Belgium Michael Hamson Oceanic Art, CA Indigo, Germany Mark A. Johnson Asian & Tribal Art, CA Leonard Kalina Fine Arts, CA Oumar Keinde African Art, Senegal Tony Kitz Oriental Carpets, CA Alberto Levi Gallery, Italy Lewis/Wara Gallery, WA Lost Nation, IL Davide Manfredi, Italy Mirabilia Mundi, UK Thomas Murray Asiatica Ethnographica, CA Judith Small Nash, NY OAN Books-OceanielAfrique Noire, NY Marc Richards, CA Robertson African Arts, NY David F. Rosenthal, CA Christopher Selser, NM Merton D. Simpson Gallery, Inc., NY Stendahl Galleries, CA Tambaran Gallery, NY Throckmorton Fine Art Inc., NY James Willis Tribal Art, CA William Wright, NJ Purchase with confidence, All objects vetted for quality & authenticity.

Caskey-Lees . PO Box 1409 Topanga, CA 90290 T 310-455-2886 . F 310-455-1951 www.artnet.com/artfairs/caskey2000.html

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64 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

The Museum of American Folk Art presents its Web site with an Online Shop stocked with carefully selected merchandise from our popular Book and Gift Shop. In addition to regularly updated exhibition and program information and a photo gallery featuring highlights of the permanent collection, you can become a Museum member, register for Folk Art Institute courses, and purchase unusual gifts from our extensive catalog of books, accessories, toys, and specialty items for holidays and home decor. Credit-card transactions are encrypted for security and privacy, and Museum members receive a 10% discount on all shop items.

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FOR ART & SETE-TAUGHT ART

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It's more than just another credit card it's a contribution. MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLKART EVA AND MORRIS FELD GALLERY Al LINCOLN SQUARE

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Now you can help raise money for the Museum of American Folk Art simply by making a purchase with your No-Annual-Fee Museum of American Folk Art Gold MasterCard! Every time you make a purchase with your No-AnnualFee Museum of American Folk Art Gold MasterCard, MBNA America® Bank, the card's issuer, makes a contribution to support the Museum of American Folk Art. Your No-Annual-Fee Museum of American Folk Art card also benefits you in a big way with credit lines up to $50,000 and up to $500,000 Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance on charged fares, The Museum of American Folk Art card features... • No Annual Fee! • Additional cards at no cost for family members or associates. • Worldwide acceptance at millions of locations. • A bank that is always available, 24 hours a day,365 days a year. Best of all, it's backed by a 24-hour commitment to Customer Satisfaction that has made MBNA one of the leading issuers of bank credit cards.

Request your NO-ANNUAL-FEE Museum of American Folk Art Gold MasterCard today!

Call 1-800-847-7378 TTY users, call: 1-800-833-6262 Please mention priority code FDNI when you call. There are costs associated with the use of this card. You may contact the issuer and administrator of this program, MBNA America' Bank, to request specific information about the costs by calling 1-800-847-7378 or writing to P.O. Box 15020, Wilmington, DE 19850. *Certain restrictions apply to this benefit and others described in the benefits brochures sent soon after your account is opened. MBNA and MBNA America are federally registered service marks of MBNA America Bank, N.A. MasterCard is a federally registered service mark of MasterCard International Inc., used pursuant to license. © 1997 MBNA America Bank, N.A. ADG-OAAB-8/97 ADG-8-4-97 ADG-H-5

Navy Pier Antiques Show Presented by Philadelphia Magazine Formerly

The 23rd Street Armory Antiques Show, this new event features 65 nationally recognized American & European antiques specialists. •Period Furniture •Folk Art• Textiles •Ceramics•Fine Art•Metalwares • Garden •Period Accessories • No Preview •No Early Buyers Special Show Exhibit, Appraisals, and much more!

FRIDAY,APRIL 7 thru SUNDAY,APRIL 9,2000 Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.,$15 Saturday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.,$10 Sunday:10 a.m. - 5 p.m.,$10 at the Naval Business Center, Bldg.#3 Broad St., off 1-95 at Exit 14(North or South) Philadelphia,PA

BARN STAR PRODUCTIONS

Frank Gaglio, manager 56 E. Market St., Suite B Rhinebeck, New York 12572

For Brochure and Further Information Call: (914) 876-0616

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 65

MUSEUM

NEWS

COMPILED BY SARAH MUNT Left to right: Advisory Chair Wendy Lehman Lash, Abigail Lash, Tom Strauss, Stephen Lash, Virginia Cave, and Trustee Bonnie Strauss

Fall Antiques Show he Fall Antiques Show, organized by Sanford L. Smith and Associates, recently celebrated its 21st year. On Wednesday, Nov. 17, 1999, nearly 1,300 members and friends joined the Museum at the Park Avenue Armory for its annual Benefit Preview. The entrance to the Show floor featured "Millennial Dreams," a companion exhibition to "Millennial Dreams: Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art." This special show was made possible with the support of the evening's Corporate Benefactors: Country Living magazine, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, and Pfizer Inc. Guests were greeted by Benefit Chairs Ellie Cullman and Kathleen M.Doyle and Benefit Co-Chairs Kristina and Harry Davison and Nathalie Gerschel Kaplan. Throughout the evening, attendees were treated to the toetapping sounds of the Ragtime Rascals and sumptuous fare catered by Great Performances Catered Events. Following the party, special

ti Kluseu chair et t Terry Dale, Claire Sco , right ler Left to , Se"' Richard Bar " Americus Groan' coordinator; and events

Dealer Laura Fisher

Gerard C. Wertkin and Helen Hunt

\N FOLK AFTyRESENTS

AL TMS

Betty Ring and Leslie Kano

Paul J. LaPerriere of Fireman's Fund Insurance Company,Honorary Chair for the Benefit Preview, was recognized at a special champagne and dessert reception in the Armory's Tiffany Room. Once again this year, Education Chairs Vera Jelinek and Julie K.Palley organized "In the Company of Experts," a series of guided walking tours of the Armory show. Held on Thursday, Friday, Benefit Co -Chairs Rfisti Harry Davison and Saturday morn"a hod ings, these informative tours were led by

Benefit Chairs Kathleen Doyle (left) and Ellie Cullman

Paul D'Ambrosio,Stiles Colwill, Ellie Cullman, William Diamond, Nancy Druckman,Leigh Keno, Susan Kleckner, Lee Kogan,David A. Gallager, Stacy C. Hollander, Elizabeth V. Warren,Judith Weissman,and Bunny Williams. Participants enjoyed a continental breakfast catered by Sumptuous Table, then broke down into groups of 10 to 15 to explore the Show floor with their guides. On Tuesday, Nov. 16, Nancy Mernit Soriano, editor-in-chief of Country Living magazine, and the Museum of American Folk Art hosted the annual cocktail reception in honor of the Show's dealers. This reception provided them a much-needed respite between

the days of intense preparation and the Show itself. Terry Dale, Tdsch Garthoeffner, and Rebecca Gamzon, members of the Museum's Americus Group, worked hard to attract a larger young audience to the Show. As a special benefit, Americus-level tickets included complimentary admission to "Wine and Whirligigs," a special evening reception and tour, held on Friday, Nov. 19. Special thanks go out to Thoma Winery for providing the wine and to the dealers who graciously participated in the selfguided tour. The Museum expresses warm thanks to all those who contributed to the success of the 1999

Marian Bott and Depot/ Dirontar Riccardo Salmona

66 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Photography by Matt Flynn

Country Living staff members (left to right) Andrea Black, Emily Wolahan, Sharon Graber, Reed Foster, editor-in-chief Nancy Mernit Soriano, Lawrence Bilotti, Robin Long Mayer, and Marylou Krajei

NEW BOOK RELEASE! creative growth art center 355 24th street oakland, california 94612 510.836.2340 phone 510.836.0769 fax www.creativegrowth.org

Dealers Melissa Greene , and John Sideli

osis Fall Antiques Show Benefit Preview and related programming: Linda Abbey,Sugar Barry, Bisley Bonino, Marian A. Bott, Margaret Campbell, Alexis Contos, Country Living magazine, Director Gerard C. Wadi& and Tnratee Joyce B. Cowin Ellie Cullman, Lucy Cullman Danziger, Kristina and Harry Superintendent of the Park Davison, Kathleen M.Doyle, Harriet Fay, Fireman's Fund Avenue Armory,Scott Swenson, TENNECO,William Doyle GalInsurance Company,Trisch leries, the "In the Company of Garthoeffner, Vera Jelinelc, Experts" guides, the donors to Nathalie Gerschel Kaplan,Paul J. LaPerriere, Wendy Lehman Lash, "Millennial Dreams," the staff at Great Performances Catered Nancy Mead,Julie K.Palley, Events, the terrific people of SanPfizer Inc, Lisa Prince Shorter, Sanford Smith, Sumptuous Table, ford Smith & Associates, and the 1999 Fall Antiques Show dealers.

Bunny Williams offering the decorator's perspective

Susan Kleckner

iiUdith Scott

by John M. MacGregor hardcover: $45.00+ $5.15 4hipping

EPSTEIN/POWELL 66 Grand St., New York, N.Y. 10013 By Appointment(212)226-7316 e-mail: artfolksemindspring.com

Jesse Aaron Rex Clawson Antonio Esteves Victor Joseph Gatto (Estate) S.L. Jones Justin McCarthy Old Ironsides Pry Popeye Reed Max Romain Bill Roseman (Estate) Jack Savitsky Clarence Stringfield Mose Tolliver and other classic American outsiders

Paul D'Ambrosio

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 07

MUSEUM

NEWS

WORKS BY

SUSAN SLYMAN

Stunning installation of archangel Gabriel weathervanes

CAN BE SEEN AT

FRANK J. MIELE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FOLK ART 1088 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK, N.Y. 10028 212.249.7250

GALLERIE JE REVIENS ONE RIVERSIDE AVENUE WESTPORT CT. 08880 203.227.7718

JOHN C. HILL ANTIQUE INDIAN ART 6962 E. 1st Ave. Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 (480)-946-2910 email: antqindart@aol.com

Visions and Prophecies n Nov. 13,the Museum heralded the New Year a bit early with the opening of its highly lauded exhibition "Millennial Dreams: Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art." Gerard C. Wertldn, the Museum's director and exhibition curator extended his greetings to a full house that included many new members. The opening was a feast not only for the eyes, but also for the ears. Among the highlights of the evening was the performance by the McCollough Sons of Thunder, a brass and percussion ensemble from the United House of Prayer in Harlem. Guests, possibly infused with millennial spirit, broke out into dance to the band's engaging gospel "shout band" music. The exhibition reflects the religious fervor that has imbued America for centuries. Designed

by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the show features works by Howard Finster, Sister Gertrude Morgan, William Matthew Prior, and William Edmondson,among many others. Shaker gift drawings, retablos, and an exceptional figure of the Angel Moroni reflect the diverse ways in which millennial thoughts have been expressed over the last centuries, whether peaceful or apocalyptic. Holland Cotter from The New York Times wrote,"With all the Y2K furor, it's easy to forget that for most Americans not so long ago the turn of the millennium carried profound spiritual weight: it signified the end of time, the culmination of history, when good and evil faced off, and the heavenly kingdom arrived on earth. This intelligent and stirring show explores these ideas in works ranging from the Apocalyptic

Shaker chairs ascending to heaven

HOPI "Striding" KATSINA, C. 1930

68 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Photography by Matt Flynn

Left to right: Helen Lo, marketing director, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company; Paul I. LaPerriere, executive vice president, personal insurance division, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company; and Trustee Julie K. Palley

Gerard C. Wertkin and Lucy Danziger getting into the spirit of the evening

Trustee Nancy Mead and her husband, Dana, admiring a piece by Howard Finster

Museum Charlotte Zander Schlo13 Bonnigheim

Left to right: Frank Maresca and Michael and Gael Mendelsohn

paintings of the Pentecostal preacher William A. Blayney, to Sister Gertrude Morgan's visions of an interracial paradise, to Edward Hicks's earthly lions-with-lambs "Peaceable Kingdom." At the center of everything is a set of Shaker chairs, each as plain and elegant as a hymn-book turn, and suspended together in space like a stairway to heaven. Just perfect." A 40page catalog featuring 23 color images of works in the exhibition can be purchased at the Museum

So - ns of Thunder '

of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop,2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue, between 65th and 66th Streets, New York City. For mail-order information, please call 212/496-2966."Millennial Dreams: Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art," on view through May 14, is made possible by Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.

Millennial Dreams Programming or each person, there is a different interpretation of what a millennium means. In conjunction with the current exhibition,"Millennial Dreams: Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art," the Museum presented an evening lecture series reflecting the varied interpretations. Gerard C. Wertkin, exhibition curator and director of the Museum,began the series in December with a curatorial lecture. Other winter lectures included discussions by Lynda Roscoe Hartigan and Randall Balmer,Ph.D. In January, actor and Membership Associate Christopher

Cappiello presented a rich mix of millennial readings from Christopher Columbus, Henry David Thoreau, and Presidents Truman and Reagan. The readings were interspersed with gospel music from The Singing Conquerors. In February, Fatima Bercht and Regenia A. Perry, Ph.D. each delivered a fascinating lecture. On March 2, there was a roundtable discussion featuring folk artist Howard Finster, Norman J. Girardot, Ph.D., professor Richard Landes, and Gerard C. Wertkin, exhibition curator and director of the Museum of American Folk Art. See Spring Pro-

Encounter with Russian Naive Art October 31, 1999- March 12, 2000 Alexander Alexandrovich Belich Pavel Petrovich Leonov Jekaterina Ivanovna Medwedewa Nikolej Pirosmanaschwili Vasilij Tichonovich Romanenkov Michail Alexandrovich Rzannikov and other artists Catalogue; ISBN 3-926318-32-5 Outsider Art, Collection Charlotte Zander March 19- July 9,2000 Catalogue; ISBN 3-926318-31-7 Andre Bauchant (1873-1955) July 'lb - October 22, 2000 HauptstraBe 15, D-74357 Bonnigheim, Germany Phone: (0)71 43/4226 Fax: (0)71 43/4220 Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 69

MUSEUM

LOY BOWLIN: THE RHINESTONE COWBOY, March 5 - June 18 OBSESSION, February 13 - May 7 WISCONSIN ENVIRONMENT BUILDERS: VON BRUENCHENHEIN, NOHL, SMITH, OEBSER, ENGELBERT/ongoing May 3 - 7: National conference on issues in the study, exhibition and preservation of works by self-taught artists. Hosted by JMKAC and Kohler Foundation, Inc. Call 920-458-6144 • www.jmkac.org

NEWS

grams, page 79,for the rest of this exciting lecture series. All lectures are free and held at 6:00 P.M. at the Museum's Eva and Morris Feld Gallery. The millennium has also engaged children at the Children's Sunday Workshop. Angels,Father Time, and Edward Hicks' "Peaceable Kingdom" served as inspiration for the children's masterpieces. On March 12, the whole family can join in the fun with "Deities, Guardians, Heaven on Earth," stories from around the world performed by Griots in Concert and storyteller

Linda Humes. To reserve a space, please call 212/595-9533.

Chris Cappiello delivers a stirring performance

John Michael Kohler

ARTS CENTER

Sweet sounds from The Singing Conquerors

608 New York Avenue, Sheboygan, WI 53081 One hour north of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan MW F 10-5 • TTh 10-8 • S Sun 10-4

.A=

annie grgich

Laura N. Israel Fund for the Capital Campaign aura N. Israel, who always held a special place among the friends and associates of the Museum of American Folk Art, died on Nov. 16, 1999. The Museum wishes to extend its appreciation to her family and to the following individuals who graciously contributed to the Capital Campaign in her memory: Susan A. Arenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Lanny S. Buchwald, Rosalind S. Burrell, Pamela Butterfield, The David Aronow Foundation, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. James B. Downie, William M. Ennis, Evergreen Asset Management Corp., Evergreen Funds,

L garde rail gallery contemporary folk, self-taught and outsider art from the northwest and beyond

www.garde-rail.com 312 first avenue south #5 - seattle, wa 98104 tel: 206.623.3004 - email: gallery@garde-rail.com

70 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Fielitz, Fleet Specialists, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Frank, Elizabeth Holzer, J. Aron Charitable Foundation, Len Baritz Family, Marianne S. Liebermann, Glenn Pohs, Lynn H. Pories, Merrilee J. Possner, Patrice Guarrine Prescott, Christopher Quick,Rachel S. Rescorl, Daisy B. Schott, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Schott, Jean M. Sommers, Mr. and Mrs. Gery William Sperling, Arthur E. Sprung, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Strauss, Tanya Sugarman, and Mr. and Mrs. David B. Waters. For additional information, please contact Jane McIntosh at 212/977-7170, ext. 318.

MUSEUM

NEWS

A Day With(out) Art disease and his artwork. He n conjunction with Visual related how as a young child he AIDS,the Museum participated in the 11th international was inspired by his father, who made personalized bikes for his Day With(out) Art on December 10 children out of discarded 1, 1999. In an effort to increase AIDS awareness in the visual arts, partsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Gonzalez uses his nephew's broken toys and other the Museum hosted self-taught discarded objects to create his artist Rubin Gonzalez. Creative assemblages. Gonzalez offered to writing students from local create a collage out of any written LaGuardia High School listened or visual pieces that students subto Gonzalez speak about being mitted to him. The discussion diagnosed with AIDS three years reached an emotional peak when ago and how that experience has Brooke Davis Anderson, director affected his outlook and his and curator of the Museum's artwork. Contemporary Center, led the The Museum's Sue Conlon, group in a moment of silence assistant to the director and.orgahonoring those lost to the disease. nizer of the event, described the My Breaking Heart remained mission of Visual AIDS. Estabon display for the remainder of lished in 1988, the organization the day in the Museum, but the promotes AIDS awareness and experience was not over for the education and raises money to students. They were told to write provide services for artists living about the time spent with Gonzawith the virus. Day Without Art lez. They will return this month was created in 1989 to reveal the to the Museum and read their impact AIDS has on artists and work aloud. the art community. Rubin Gonzalez, a collage artist, expressed his anguish about his condition in his assemblage My Breaking Heart. The vibrantly painted piece depicts his initial heartbreak about his situation. The young audience was moved by the artist's story, and the artist in turn was affected by their interest in his art and life. Many students were impressed by his assemblage My Garden by the Sea, a peaceful and serene scene that reflects his current confidence and optimism about life. Students then asked questions about his Rubin Gonzalez with My Breaking Heart

Prison Art - Carved Smoking Stand - 32"

JANE S. CIEPLY 847-540-0615â&#x20AC;˘BARRINGTON,IL 60010

ANTON HAARDT GALLERY

MONTGOMERY, AL (334) 263.54941 NEW ORLEANS ANNEX (504) 897-1172 www.antonart.com

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 71

MUSEUM

NEWS

Riverfest Weekend 2000 FOlklife

VtIIqe

Festival of" Folk Art ancf Quilt Show

fAprii 28, 29 &301 Convention 8z Trade Center Columbus, Georgia Come Meet the Artists: Howarcl Finster

Charlie Lucas Bernice Sims Annie Lucas Eric Legge Myrtice West Lila Graves Michael Suter Jack Beverland Mike Segal

/as Johns Necl Berry Peter Loose Butch Anthony Elayne Goodman

fk.F. Seven Bu44y Snipes Charlie Simpson

Institute Students in the City of Brotherly Love his fall, the Museum's Folk Art Institute conducted an eight-session satellite course in Philadelphia. "All Over the Map: Collectors and Collections in the Philadelphia Area" met once a week at the beautiful Philadelphia Art Alliance. Under the tutelage of Lee Kogan, director of the Folk Art Institute, students examined public and private folk art collections. The exceptional course augmented with behind-the-

scenes tours and discussions by leading experts and collectors. On Nov. 1,1999 a panel of experts discussed current collecting trends, the workings of the art market, and the impact of trading online. A lively question and answer period was followed by brief anecdotes from the participants. The spring session of the Institute offered another satellite course in which the resources of the Philadelphiaarea were further explored.

Rocky Wade Brian Wilson

John Henry Toney nny Hoskinson a nci more This event is made possible, in part, by the City of Columbus Cultural Arls Alliance of the Chamber of Commerce. Please contact Vikki Mancil-King for more information: (706)324-7417 or (706)323-1439

WEATHERVANE FOLK ART TOM WELLS 324 MAIN STREET THOWISON GEORGIA 30824 706-595-1998

Left to right: Patrick Bell, Lita Solis Cohen, John Oilman, Wendy Foulke, and Ron Pook participated in the panel discussion in Philadelphia.

706-597-0899

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.iseathervanefolkart.eorn

JAKE MeCORD DONNA WILSON EARNEST LEE Z.BARMSTRONG WILLIE JENKS LEONARD JONES RALPH GRIFFIN WILLIE TARVER S.C.HUDSON MOTHER AND MANY OTHER ARTISTS

72 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

NIILLENNIAL DREAMS Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art 40 pages • 23 color plates • 8'h X 6"• paperback • $10 To order, call the Museum's Book and 212/496-2966

Gift Shop at

MUSEUM

NEWS

Holiday Mail-Order a Great Success Once Again erusing the December 1999 issue of Country Living magazine, you may have come upon a pleasant surprise—the Museum of American Folk Art's 6th annual page of holiday gifts available by mail. This season's merchandise included three chenille tree ornaments influenced by Victorian examples, a stocking made from quilt remnants and vintage bells, a tabletop Christmas tree centerpiece perfect for displaying fragrant citrus, a Santa and a snowman doll made of cotton and papier-mâché, and two holiday-themed rustic tin signs made to look old. This year's sales were among the most successful ever. More than 1,000 orders were taken; the most popular items were the chenille ornaments and tin signs.

The person behind the successful enterprise is the calm and cheerful Beverly McCarthy. For 11 months out of the year, McCarthy does double duty as the receptionist at the Museum's administrative office and coordinator of the Museum's yearround mail-order operation, but come December she devotes all her time to the holiday crunch. The annual Country Living page generates as much revenue for the Museum as its Book and Gift Shop does in an average month. The Museum salutes Beverly McCarthy for her tireless good spirits and tremendous effort And special thanks go to Country Living magazine for generously donating the page space. All proceeds benefit the Museum's ongoing F‘ exhibitions and educational programs.

outsiderartauctions.com

!NNW ARTS

Beverly McCarthy

TRAVELING

EXHIBITIONS

Mark your calendars for the following Museum of American Folk Art exhibitions when they travel to your area during the coming months: Glorious American Quilts: The Quilt Collection of the Museum of American Folk Art Takashimaya Department Stores, Japan March 9—March 14, 2000, Tokyo March 23—March 28, 2000, Kyoto March 30—April 4,2000, Osaka April 6—April 11,2000, Yokohama

March 18—May 14, 2000 The Art of Nellie Mae Rowe: Ninety-Nine and a Half Won't Do African American Museum Dallas 214/565-9026

For further information, please contact Judith Gluck Steinberg, coordinator of traveling exhibitions, Museum of American Folk Art, 555 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-2925, 212/977-7170.

Hairdresser's St:gu (Togo)

Popular and Folk Art from Asia, Africa and the Americas Haitian Paintings • Metal Sculpture • Vodou Flags West African Barber Shop Signs•HuicholPaintings Mexican &Latin American Folk Carvings 6- Paintings Ethnographic Sculpture, Furniture 6Textiks 151 N. 3rd 5treet, Philadelphia, PA 19106 215-922-4041 fax: 215-922-0695 www.indigoart5.com

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 73

MUSEUM

NEWS

Lectures Across the Country everal staff members recently traveled throughout the country to bring their expertise to the public. The Minneapolis Woman's Club was pleased to host Director Gerard C. Wertkin on Oct. 5, 1999. Addressing the Woman's Club and gifted high school students, he gave overviews of the American and European folk artworlds, the Museum's permanent collection, and the Museum's future home on West 53rd Street. The lecture was followed by an informative question and answer session. Senior Curator and Director of Exhibitions Stacy C. Hollander gave an evening lecture Dec. 2, 1999 on the exhibition "Ammi Phillips On Familiar Ground," presented by the Sharon Historical Society at The Tremaine Gallery of The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn. The lecture

S Arancy 'Weaver Fine & Fork Art Conservator Contemporary FoCk Artpotter ancrWoodcarver 76 Weaver Road Ph (770) 748-7035

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74 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

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focused on how Ammi Phillips (1788-1865) moved from Connecticut to New York and back again, and how he altered his style in each region. As a result, his works can be categorized by the area in which they were created. On Dec. 4,1999,The Reading Public Museum in Reading,Pa., presented a symposium in conjunction with the exhibition "Sterling Strauser: A Modernist Revisited." Lee Kogan, director of the Museum's Folk Art Institute and curator of special projects for The Contemporary Center, served on the panel, which focused on Strauser's enormous impact and contribution to the field of 20thcentury folk art and his role as mentor to academic and folk artists, museum professionals, collectors, dealers, and students.

HENRY HOTCHKISS / Ammi Phillips /Torrington, Connecticut/ C. 1850-1855 / oil on canvas/28 x 33/2" / Collection of the Sharon Historical Society, Connecticut

TRUSTEES/DONORS

MUSEUM

AMERICAN

FOLK

ART

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Executive Committee Ralph 0. Esmerian Chairman ofthe Board L. John Wilkerson President Frances Sirota Martinson Esq. Executive Vice President and Chairman, Executive Committee Lucy C. Danziger Executive Vice President

Joan M. Johnson Vice President Bonnie Strauss Vice President Barry D. Briskin Treasurer Jacqueline Fowler Secretary Anne Hill Blanchard Joyce B. Cowin Samuel Farber Julie K. Palley

Members Barbara Cate Joseph F. Cullman 3rd David L. Davies Susan Gutfreund Kristina Johnson Esq. Nancy Mead George H. Meyer Esq. Lauren S. Morgan

Cyril I. Nelson Laura Parsons Margaret Z. Robson

Rebecca & Michael Garnzon The George & Myra Shaskan Foundation, Inc. Cordelia Hamilton Mr.& Mrs. George Henry In Memory of Laura N. Israel John & Margaret Robson Foundation Johnson & Johnson Joan & Victor Johnson Kristina Johnson Esq. Susan & Robert Klein Wendy & Mel Lavin Lipman Family Foundation Paul Martinson, Frances Martinson and Howard Graff in memory of Burt Martinson Mr.& Mrs. Dana G. Mead Robert & Meryl Meltzer George H. Meyer Keith & Lauren Morgan Cyril Irwin Nelson

New York City Department of Cultural Affairs New York State Bequest of Mattie Lou O'Kelley The Overbrook Foundation Julie & Sandy Palley and Samuel & Rebecca Kardon Foundation The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation The R. David Sudarsky Charitable Foundation R.R. Atkins Foundation Arthur & Suzanne Shawe Bonnie & Tom Strauss Talcashimaya Co., Ltd. Richard & Maureen Taylor David & Jane Walentas Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP John & Barbara Wilkerson Robert & Anne Wilson Susan Yecies Six anonymous donors

Trustees Emeriti Cordelia Hamilton George F. Shaskan Jr.

DONORS TO THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN The Museum of American Folk Art has announced a $30 million campaign to construct and endow a new home on 53rd Street. As of December 13, 1999, more than $20 million has been raised from the following donors: Alconda-Owsley Foundation Marcia Bain Judy & Barry Beil in honor of Alice and Ron Hoffman Mrs. Arthur M. Berger Big Apple Wrecking and Construction Corporation Edward V. Blanchard & M. Anne Hill Mr.& Mrs. James A. Block Edith S. & Barry D. Briskin Florence Brody

Lewis P. Cabot Bliss & Brigitte Carnochan Edward Lee Cave Mrs. Daniel Cowin Mr.& Mrs. Edgar M. Cullman Elissa F. & Edgar M.Cullman Jr. Joe & Joan Cullman Susan R. Cullman Kendra & Allan Daniel David & Sheena Danziger Lucy & Mike Danziger Peggy & Richard M. Danziger David L. Davies Deborah & Arnold Dunn The Edith & Herbert Lehman Foundation, Inc. Ray & Susan Egan Ralph 0.Esmerian Sam & Betsey Farber Bequest of Eva & Morris Feld Jacqueline Fowler

RECENT DONORS FOR EXHIBMONS AND OPERATIONS(as of January 1,2000) The Museum of American Folk Art greatly appreciates the generous support of the following friends: $100,000 and above Fireman's Fund Insurance Company Two anonymous donors $99,999450,000 Edward V. Blanchard & M. Anne Hill Edith S. & Barry D. Briskin Ralph 0.Esmerian Samuel & Betsey Farber One anonymous donor $49,999—$20,000 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Burnett Group Country Living magazine Joseph F. Cullman 3rd David L. Davies & Jack Weeden Mr.& Mrs. John H. Gutfreund Barbara & Dave Krashes Vincent & Anne Mai Joseph Martinson Memorial Fund Mr. & Mrs. Dana G. Mead Julie K.& Samuel Palley

Pfizer Inc Philip Morris Companies Inc. Restaurant Associates Industries, Inc. The Shirley Schlafer Foundation The Smart Family Foundation Inc. Geoffrey & Elizabeth Stern Time Warner Two anonymous donors $19,999-510,000 Barbara & Thomas W.Strauss Fund Bear, Stearns & Co.Inc. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Christie's Mrs. Daniel Cowin Credit Suisse First Boston Lucy C.& Frederick M.Danziger The Dietrich American Foundation & H. Richard Dietrich Jr. Jacqueline Fowler Jean S. & Frederic A. Sharf Fund Joan M.& Victor L. Johnson The Judith Rothschild Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Mark Leavitt LEF Foundation Lipman Family Foundation, Inc. George H. Meyer Esq. Mr.& Mrs. Keith Morgan New York State Council on the Arts The Norman & Rosita Winston Foundation, Inc.

The Pinkerton Foundation John & Margaret Robson Schlumberger Foundation, Inc. Tenneco John & Barbara Wilkerson William B. Dietrich & William B. Dietrich Foundation William Doyle Galleries One anonymous donor $9,999—$4,000 ABC,Inc. Judith Alexander ARTCORP Beard's Fund Mr.& Mrs. Steve Burnett Barbara & Tracy Cate Galerie St. Etienne The Goodnow Fund The Joe & Emily Lowe Foundation The John R. and Dorothy D. Caples Fund Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Kristina Johnson Esq. Joseph E. Seagrams & Sons,Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Ronald S. Lauder Jerry & Susan Lauren Eric Maffei The Magazine Group Marstrand Foundation

MBNA America, N.A. Microsoft Matching Gifts Program Morgan Stanley Foundation New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Dorothea & Leo Rabkin Ricco/Maresca Gallery Marguerite Riordan George F. & Myra Shaskan Jr. Mr.& Mrs. Joseph D. Shein Myron B.& Cecille B. Shure Peter J. Solomon Unilever United States Foundation, Inc. The William P.& Gertrude Schweitzer Foundation, Inc. Two anonymous donors 53,999-82,000 Dr. Charles L. Abney Jr. Bell Atlantic Bergen Line, Inc. Ellen Blissman Mr. & Mrs. Sheldon Bonovitz Robert & Katharine Booth Mr.& Mrs. Richard H. Bott Richard Bra.emer & Amy Finkel Marvin & Lois P. Broder Edward J. & Margaret Brown Chris Butler Joseph & Barbara Cohen

SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 75

DONORS an art gallery & studio space creating opportunities for adults with disabilities through art

109 Rea Avenue El Cajon CA 92020

619 593 2205

Greeting Cards Prints Original Art Brochure Available Website:www.stmsc.org

AMERICAN STONEWARE COLLECTORS "AUCTION AND APPRAISAL SERVICES"

Richard C. Hume P.O. Box 281 Bay Head, N.J. 08742 732-899-8707

76 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Carl Wissler 2015 Lititz Pike Lancaster, PA. 17601 717-569-2309

Columbia University Community Concerts Mr.& Mrs. George Contos Mr.& Mrs. Edgar M. Cullman Allan & Kendra Daniel Richard M.& Peggy Danziger Michael & Janice Doniger Nancy Druckman Duane, Morris & Heckscher T.J. Dermot Dunphy John Farber & Wendy!! Brown Burton & Helaine Fendelman in memory of Ellin Ente Scott & Lauren Fine Fortress Corporation Fred Leighton, Ltd. Jay & Gail Furman Eric J. & Anne Gleacher Vira Hladun Goldmann Su-Ellyn Goldstein Peter & Barbara Goodman Warren & Sue Ellen Haber Mr.& Mrs. James Harithas Jimmy Hedges Pepi & Vera Jelinek The Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Employee Matching Gifts Program Harry Kahn Allan & Penny Katz Diane D. Kern Lawrence J. Lasser Dan W.Lufkin & Silvia Kramer Maine Community Foundation The Marsha & Jeffrey H. Miro Foundation Millbrook Vineyards The Overbrook Foundation Daniel & Susan Pollack Drs. Jeffrey Pressman & Nancy Kollisch Selig D. Sacks Peter L. Schaffer Raymond & Linda Simon Mr.& Mrs. Elliot K. Slade R. Scudder & Helen Smith Richard & Stephanie Solar Jeff Soref Mr. & Mrs. David Stein Donald & Rachel Strauber Jim & Judy Taylor David Teiger Mr.& Mrs. George P. Viener Don Walters & Mary Benisek Irwin H.& Elizabeth V. Warren Peter & Leslie Warwick Olive F. Watson One anonymous donor $1,999â&#x20AC;&#x201D;$1,000 Amicus Foundation, Inc. Deborah & James Ash Jeremy L. Banta Didi & David Barrett Robert B. Bennett Patricia H. Berkowitz Daniel Berman Thomas Block & Marilyn Friedman Marc Brown

Trudy & Julius Brown Gale Meltzer Bruciner Edward Lee Cave Cavin-Morris Gallery The Charles Edlin Family Charitable Foundation Trust Cirker's Moving & Storage Co.,Inc. Citicorp Foundation Matching Gifts Program Clinton Walker Foundation The Coach Dairy Goat Farm Cullman & Kravis, Inc. Aaron & Judy Daniels Michael Del Castello Derrel B. De Passe Mr.& Mrs. Gerald T. DiManno Kathleen M. Doyle The Echo Foundation. Mr.& Mrs. Alfred C. Eckert III Andrew Edlin Gloria G. Einbender Gail M.Engelberg Douglas G. Ente in memory of Ellin Ente Epstein Philanthropies Janey Fire & John Kalynmios Erin Flanagan Frank J. Miele Gallery Jill Gallagher David A. Gardner Roger L. Garrett Dr. Kurt A. Giber & Ms. Alice Yelen Mr.& Mrs. Ronald Goldstein Barbara L. Gordon Grand Mamier Foundation Robert M.Greenberg Mr.& Mrs. Robert F. Greenhill Bonnie Grossman Guinness Import Company Cordelia Hamilton Carl Hammer Marian & Andrew Heiskell The Helen R. 8c Harold C. Mayer Foundation Mr.& Mrs. Richard Herbst Stephen Hessler & Mary Ellen Vehlow Stephen M. Hill Tom Isenberg Jane Marcher Charitable Foundation Harvey & Isobel Kahn Louise & George Kaminow Mr.& Mrs. Gerald P. Kaminsky Mr.& Mrs. Robert E. Klein Barbara S. Klinger Robert A. Landau Mr.& Mrs. Stephen Lash Mr.& Mrs. John Levin Barbara S. Levinson Peter & Nadine Levy Mr. and Mrs. Carl M. Lindberg Liz Claiborne Foundation Mrs. Myron L. Mayer Michael & Gael Mendelsohn Morris & Anna Propp Sons Fund,Inc. Ann & Walter Nathan Judith & Bernard Newman Philip V. Oppenheimer & Mary Close

DONORS

ALEX GERRARD FINE ART

Karen R. Osar Mr.& Mrs. Richard D. Parsons Anthony J. Petullo J. Randall Plummer Mr.& Mrs. Daniel Pollack Polo Ralph Lauren Jack & Roberta E. Rabin Irene Reichert Mr.& Mrs. Keith Reinhard Paige Rense Richard C. & Susan B. Ernst Foundation Betty Ring William D. Rondina Daniel & Joanna Rose Mr.& Mrs. Jeff T. Rose The San Diego Foundation Charmaine & Maurice Kaplan Fund Merilyn Sandin-Zarlengo Mr. & Mrs. Henry B. Schacht Kerry Schuss Mr.& Mrs. Marvin Schwartz Semlitz Glaser Foundation Mr. Harvey Shipley Miller Hardwicke Simmons Nell Singer Mr.& Mrs. Elliott Slade Patricia & Robert Stempel Doris 8c Stanley Tananbaum Mr.& Mrs. Jeff Tarr Tiffany & Co. Mr. & Mrs. James S. Tisch Mr.& Mrs. Laurence Tisch Mr.& Mrs. Barry Tucker Ms. Karel F. Wahrsager Mr. & Mrs. David C. Walentas Mr.& Mrs. Charles G. Ward M Gerard C. Werticin Mr. & Mrs. William M. Wetsman G. Marc Whitehead Robert N. Wilson John & Phyllis Wishnick Laurie Wolfe & Ann C.S. Benton Two anonymous donors

8999-$500 Joan H. Adler Ms. Mary Lou Alpert Richard C.& Ingrid Anderson Anton Haardt Foundation Mr.& Mrs. Al Bachman Joel & Lucy Banker Barbara & Donald Tober Foundation Frank & June Barsalona Charles Benenson The Bibelot Shops Mrs. Helen Bing Leonard Block Jeffrey & Tina Bolton Marilyn & Orren Bradley Deborah Bush Laurie Carmody Mr.& Mrs. Dick Cashin The Chase Manhattan Foundation Matching Gift Program Mr. & Mrs. Robert Cochran Mrs. Phyllis Collins

Stephen H. Cooper & Professor Karen Gross Judy Cowen Michael F. Coyne & Monica Longworth Karen L. Cramer Mr.& Mrs. Lewis Cullman Kathryn M.Curran Debevoise & Plimpton Don & Marion DeWitt Maureen D. Donovan Cynthia Drasner Arnold & Debbie Dunn Edward Clifford Durrell III Shirley Durst Raymond C. Egan Mr.& Mrs. Alvin Einbender Ross & Gladys Faires Burton & Helaine Fendelman Mr.& Mrs. Scott Fine Pamela J. Hoiles Firszt Annie Fisher Ken & Brenda Fritz Denise Froelich Dale G. Frost Daniel M. Gantt Mr.& Mrs. Bruce Geismar Margaret A. Gilliam Elizabeth Gilmore William L.& Mildred Gladstone Baron J. & Ellin Gordon Mrs. Terry S. Gottlieb Howard M. Graff Stanley & Marcia Greenberg Ronald & Susan L. Grudziecki Susan Rosenberg Gurman Audrey B. Heckler Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hess Leonard & Arlene Hoclunan Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hodes John & Laima Hood Ellen E. Howe Mr.& Mrs. Ken Iscol Mr.& Mrs. Thomas C. Israel Ann Jocelyn/Bank of New York Joel & Susan Simon Philanthropic Fund Betty W.Johnson & Douglas F. Bushnell Guy Johnson Maurice & Charmaine Kaplan Nancy Karlins-Thoman Sherry Kass & Scott Tracy Steven & Helen Kellogg Ms. Joan E. Kend Arthur & Sybil Kern Mary Kettaneh Robert Kleinberg Sherry ICronenfeld Mr.& Mrs. Theodore A. Kurz Mr.& Mrs. Leonard A. Lauder Wendy & Mel Lavitt Mr.& Mrs. Gerry Lodge Gloria & Patrick Lonergan Monica Longworth & Michael F. Coyne Nancy B. Maddrey Michael T. Martin Mr.& Mrs. Jonathan Marvel

Untitled - Mixed media on paper - 20'' x 27" Signed Wolfgang Heuber

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SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 77

DONORS

New full-color catalog featuring over 200 fine quality reproductions of quilts, samplers, portraits,landscapes and still lifes. Decorative works from prestigious museums and galleries. Send $8.00 for 32-page catalog and free 5" x 7" mini print. Aaron Ashley Inc., 230 Fifth Avenue, Suite 400, New York, New York, 10001, or call 212-532-9227.

Al Marzorini Kelley McDowell The McGraw-Hill Companies Employee Volunteer Support Program M.P. McNellis Grete Meilman Mr.& Mrs. Robert Meltzer Robert & Joyce Menschel Evelyn S. Meyer Frank J. Miele Timothy & Virginia Millhiser Joy Moos Kathy S. Moses Museums New York Cyril I. Nelson Mr.& Mrs. Bruce Newman Rachel B. Newman New York Beverage Company Nancy Ann Oettinger Mr.& Mrs. John E. Oilman Paul L.& Nancy Oppenheimer David Passerman Burton W.Pearl, M.D. The Perrier Group of America Mr.& Mrs. Laurence B. Pike Mr. 8z Mrs. C. Carl Randolph in memory of Margery G. Kahn Dr. & Mrs. Roger Rose Robert A. Roth

Johnes Ruta Riccardo Salmona Mr.& Mrs. Robert T. Schaffner Margaret Schmidt Minda Shein Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Shelp Bruce B. Shelton Steven Simons & Cheryl Rivers Rita A. Sklar John & Stephanie Smither Kathryn Staley Mr.& Mrs. Victor Studer Peter 8z Lynn Tishman Mr. Frank Tosto Dorothy Treisman Mr.& Mrs. Raymond S. Troubh United Way of Dutchess County Angela Usrey Mr.& Mrs. Hugh Vanderbilt Mr.& Mrs. Joseph Viener Robert & Ruth Vogele Jennifer Walker Herbert Wells Margaret Wenstrup Susi Wuennenberg Diana Zanganas Jon & Rebecca Zoler Anonymous in honor of Gerard C. Wertldn One anonymous donor

THE JEAN LIPMAN FELLOWS

AMERICA'S OLDEST MAKERS OF COLONIAL AND EARLY AMERICAN LIGHTING FIXTURES

1999 Co-Chairs Jerry & Susan Lauren Roger Ricco and Frank Maresca 1999 Fellows Patrick Bell & Edwin Hild Mary Benisek & Don Walters Edith Briskin Edward J. & Margaret Brown Nancy Druckman Peter & Barbara Goodman Tracy Goodnow Barbara L. Gordon Howard M. Graff Ann Harithas Pepi & Vera Jelinek Harvey Kahn Allan Katz

Susan Kleckner Barbara & David Krashes Eric Maffei Jeff & Anne Miller Keith Morgan John Oilman J. Randall Plummer Paige Rense Selig Sacks Jean S. & Frederic A. Sharf Raymond & Linda Simon Richard & Stephanie Solar Arthur Spector Donald & Rachel Strauber Sini von Reis Irwin H.& Elizabeth V. Warren One anonymous donor

RECENT DONORS TO THE COLLECTIONS

AUTHENTIC DESIGNS 17 The Mill Road West Rupert, Vermont 05776 (802) 394-7713 Catalogue $3.00

78 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Gifts Briskin Family Fund Ralph 0.Esmerian Samuel & Betsey Farber Josh Feldstein Millie & Bill Gladstone Vera & Pepi Jelinek N.F. Karlins

Ray Kass & Jerrie Pike The Lipman Family Foundation in honor of Jean & Howard Lipman Edward A. McCabe Dorothea & Leo Rabldn Linda & Ray Simon Martha Detert Walbolt

SPRING

PROGRAMS

Unless otherwise specified, all programs are held at the Museum of American Folk Art/Eva and Moms Feld Gallery, 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue, between 65th and 66th Streets, New York City; programs are open to the public, and admission is free. For more information, please call 212/595-9533. EVENING PROGRAMS 6:00 P.M. Thursday, March 23 Lecture—"The World of Edward Hicks" Carolyn J. Weekley, director of museums, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia Thursday, April 27 An Evening of Conversation and Song—"Shakers and Millennial Dreams" Members ofthe Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community andfriends with special guest Dan Patterson, Ph.D., professor emeritus, University ofNorth Carolina, Chapel Hill Thursday, May 4 Lecture—"The End Is Near!" Rebecca Hoffberger, director and founder, American Visionary Art Museum Thursday, May 11 Lecture—"From Eden to Apocalypse: Religious Imagery in American Folk Culture" Stephen Marini,professor of religion, Wellesley College SUNDAY AFTERNOON CHILDREN'S WORKSHOPS 2:00-4:00 P.M. For children age 5 and up Materials fee: $1

other Sunday for the run of the exhibition. To confirm specific dates or reserve a space, please call Dale Gregory at 212/595-9533. SUNDAY AFTERNOON FAMILY PROGRAMS 4:00 P.M. March 12 Deities, Guardians, Heaven on Earth Inspirational stories from around the world performed by Griots in Concert, featuring storyteller Linda Humes and percussion accompaniment CLASS VISITS The Museum offers docent-led tours of its changing exhibitions and permanent collection gallery. Tours for school groups are scheduled at 11:30 A.m. and 1:00 P.M., Tuesday through Sunday. A small, non-refundable fee is required. Reservations must be made in advance; please call 212/595-9533. Once a tour has been booked, an introductory teachers' packet will be sent. The packet includes background information on American folk art and suggested classroom activities to enhance the Museum visit. A month's advance notice is strongly suggested.

A series of special art workshops for children will be offered using symbols and themes seen in "Millennial Dreams." This series of workshops will be held every

"Millennial Dreams: Vision and Prophecy in American Folk Art" and related programs are made possible by support from Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.

AMIcSAN6 OFOLK

AQT

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SPRING 2000 FOLK ART 79

MAIN STREET ANTIQUES and ART Colleen and Louis Picek Folk Art and Country Americana (319) 643-2065 110 West Main, Box 340 West Branch, Iowa 52358 On Interstate 80

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INDEX

ADVERTISERS

Aaron Ashley Inc. 78 Alex Gerrard 77 22 American Folk 11 American Primitive 76 American Stoneware Collectors The Ames Gallery 21 71 Anton Haardt Gallery 79 Artisans & Folk Art At Home Gallery 64 Authentic Designs 78 Barn Star Productions 65 Caskey-Lees 63 Cavin-Morris Gallery 9 Christie's 8 Creative Growth Art Center 67 15 David Wheatcroft DeHoogh Gallery 29 Epstein/Powell 67 Fleisher/Oilman Gallery Back Cover Folk Fest, Inc. 56,57 28 Frank J. Miele Garde Rail Gallery 70

80 SPRING 2000 FOLK ART

Gilley's Gallery Ginger Young Gallery Hill Gallery Hirschl & Adler Modern Hypoint Icon 20 Indigo Arts Intuit J. Crist J.E. Porcelli John C. Hill John Michael Kohler Arts Center Judy A. Saslow Gallery Kimball Sterling Auctions K.S. Art Laura Fisher Lindsay Gallery Main Street Antiques and Art MBNA America MCG Antiques Promotions Museum Charlotte Zander Mustang Publishing

26 28 2 13 71 58 73 74 3 24 68 70 58 73 21 25 27 80 65 60 69 61

Nancy Weaver 74 7 Odd Fellows Antiques The Philadelphia Antiques Show 59 Ricco/Maresca Gallery Inside Front Cover 72 Riverfest Weekend Rosehips Gallery 26 Select Southern Pottery 64 10 Sidney Gecker Inside Back Cover Sotheby's 76 St. Madeleine Sophie's Center 1 Steve Miller Susan Slyman Tops Gallery Tracy Goodnow Tyson Trading Co. Walters/Benisek Weathervane Folk Art William Peltier Yard Dog The Zetter Collection

68 77 12 14 4 72 23 79 19

Fine Collectibles

and Antiques

William Edmondson

William Edmondson, Horse, c. 1933/1940, carved limestone, 27 1/4 x 31 x 6 3/4 inches

The Fleisher/Oilman Gallery continues to show the finest in American Self-Taught masterworks FLEISHER OLLM AN GALLERY 211 S. 17th Street PhiladeJphia 1 9 1 0 3 (215)545.7562 (Fax)54.5. 6140