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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: Think like a Collector

Examine a museum collection for themes and commonalities and consider what the collection represents about a community.

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.

Activity: Myth Busting!

Consider various myths told about the history of the United States and investigate their origins, different accounts, and how perspectives shape our understanding.

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.

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.

Painting of an outdoor setting with pond and trees, populated with characters on horseback and on foot along a path in the foreground and additional figures interspersed in the background.

Object Story: Landscape with Riding and Walking Figures, a River, and a Village (Overmantel)

Painting made to hang over a mantle depicting various people along a pathway.

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.

Print on paper showing arrangement of squares; within each square there are strips of colored rectangles that are arranged asymmetrically in shades of red, blue, white, and black.

Object Story: African American Quilting

Contemporary African American quilt traditions and their transformation into new artforms.