Four Themes in Folk Art

Four Themes in Folk Art was a hit! It's still up for another week or so if you've been meaning to check it out, you're almost out of time. Here were some pictures taken of the exhibit.

Music is the main source of storytelling in old Appalachia, and it remains an important part of the culture today. Music is not only entertainment; it is an art form, a pastime, and a way of life.




Animals are loved, trained, feared, hunted, and respected. Appalachian folks have them as pets, raise them on their farms, and are surrounded by them in the wild mountains. In Folk Art, animals represent different aspects of Appalachian mythology such as snakes representing the devil and temptation, while Birds often represent love, peace, and freedom.




Religion is a large part of Appalachian life. All of these artists were born and raised less than 60 miles from where the Second Great Awakening began in Cane Ridge, in 1801. The early nineteenth century religious movement still has a large impact on the culture of the area.





Death is a part of every culture, and every culture has its own way of dealing with it. Whether it is the death of a loved one, death of many in a human catastrophe, a death from a war, or the inevitable death of everyone that hangs over our head like a dark cloud, Appalachian art reflects its own cultural understanding of death.



Within the exhibit there are 48 hand-painted signs containing research on the artist and the art. I spent around 100 hours working on it. 20 of those hours were probably working on this blog.