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Folk Art, Vernacular Art, or Naïve Art?

Many of the objects in the Fielding Collection such as Still Life with a Basket of Fruit, Flowers, and Cornucopia attributed to Joseph Proctor are often considered “folk art.” Some people prefer to use related terms like “naïve,” “vernacular,” or “nonacademic” instead of “folk.” All of these terms describe work by artists who may not have had extensive, formal training or decided not to follow the teachings and ideas of traditional art instruction.

Icon with a light bulb, star, and shapes above a pencil.

Activity: Portrait Investigations

Investigate the person in a portrait using clues and information from primary sources, images, and through research.

Front view of ovoid jar with handles near the top, decorated with blue pigment and incised decorations, with a flower in a checkered pot at the center and the initials “IS” below.

Object Story: Jar

Stoneware jar with unique decorations.

Painted tin document box mounted with original brass handle; decorated with red, white and yellow on three sides and the top; typical of the workshop of Elijah and Elisha North.

Object Story: Decorated Document Box

Decorated tin document box; decorated with red, white and yellow typical of the workshop of Elijah and Elisha North of Stevens Plains (now Westbrook), Maine 1806-1840.

The Common Good

Americans are known for their commitment to individual freedom: freedom to make their own choices, freedom to speak their mind, and freedom to come and go as they please.

Identity on Display

Among the many unique traits we have as humans is our ability create, learn, and share different ways of knowing our world.

Bowl made from dappled burl wood with curved, U-shaped rim and cutout handles.

Object Story: Oval Bowl

Oval shaped bowl carved from the burl of a tree possibly carved by a Native American artisan.

View of eight quilts displayed in a museum gallery with a spinning wheel placed in the center of the room.

Object Story: Stitching Statements and Sentiments

Explore quilt patterns that reflect women’s perspectives on the world and current events.

Overview: Out of Many, One?

Americans have long created an identity based on distinct principles and values that define the country. This unit explores the tensions between being an individual and being part of a group or nation and provides insight into what it means to be an individual in America, today and centuries ago.

Painting of two-story wooden church with tall steeple, surrounded by small groups of people approaching with sticks and logs; detritus falling out of windows.

Object Story: Before the Burning of Old South Church in Bath, Maine

On July 6, 1854, an angry crowd set fire to this church in the town of Bath, Maine.