IS FOLK ART?
ART is the art of the everyday.
FOLK ART is rooted in traditions that come
from community and culture.
FOLK ART expresses cultural identity by conveying
shared community values and aesthetics.
FOLK ART encompasses a range of
utilitarian and decorative media, including cloth, wood, paper, clay, metal and
more. If traditional materials are inaccessible, new materials are often substituted,
resulting in contemporary expressions of traditional folk art forms.
ART reflects traditional art forms of diverse community groups-ethnic, tribal,
religious, occupational, geographical, age- or gender-based-who identify with
each other and society at large.
FOLK ART is made by individuals whose
creative skills convey their community's authentic cultural identity, rather than
an individual or idiosyncratic artistic identity.
FOLK ARTISTS traditionally
learn skills and techniques through apprenticeships in informal community settings,
though they may also be formally educated.
MASTER FOLK ARTISTS demonstrate
superior levels of craftsmanship and creativity, often introducing new materials
and innovations that express both traditional and contemporary imagery and values.
In this way, traditional folk art forms evolve as dynamic living traditions.
FOLK ART fosters connections between art and people with a creative spirit
that unites all the cultures of the world.