Stories told in stitchery at Folk Art Museum’s quilt exhibit

Carl Klewicke (1835–1913), original design quilt, Corning, New York, circa 1907. Pieced silk, faille, taffeta and satin, 60 by 72 1/2in. American Folk Art Museum, New York, Museum purchase, 2012.1.1. Image courtesy American Folk Art Museum. Photo by Gavin Ashworth.
Carl Klewicke (1835–1913), original design quilt, Corning, New York, circa 1907. Pieced silk, faille, taffeta and satin, 60 by 72 1/2in. American Folk Art Museum, New York, Museum purchase, 2012.1.1. Image courtesy American Folk Art Museum. Photo by Gavin Ashworth.
Carl Klewicke (1835–1913), original design quilt, Corning, New York, circa 1907. Pieced silk, faille, taffeta and satin, 60 by 72 1/2in. American Folk Art Museum, New York, Museum purchase, 2012.1.1. Image courtesy American Folk Art Museum. Photo by Gavin Ashworth.

NEW YORK (AP) – From simple geometric shapes to the intricately wrought details of daily life, the quilt designs in a show now running at the American Folk Art Museum show how powerfully this art form has told stories for centuries and been a vehicle for creativity.

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American Folk Art Museum to add major donors’ names to director/CEO’s title

Entrance to the American Folk Art Museum in New York, photographed in June 2019. It recently announced it had accepted a $5 million donation from Becky and Bob Alexander, who will receive naming rights to the museum CEO’s job title in recognition of the gift. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit Ajay Suresh. It was originally posted to Flickr and is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Entrance to the Americna Folk Art Museum in New York, photographed in June 2019. It recently announced it had accepted a $5 million donation from Becky and Bob Alexander, who will receive naming rights to the museum CEO’s job title in recognition of the gift. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit Ajay Suresh. It was originally posted to Flickr and is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Entrance to the American Folk Art Museum in New York, photographed in June 2019. It recently announced it had accepted a $5 million donation from Becky and Bob Alexander, who will receive naming rights to the museum CEO’s job title in recognition of the gift. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit Ajay Suresh. It was originally posted to Flickr and is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

NEW YORK (AP) – The American Folk Art Museum, unlike many other arts institutions, managed to avoid layoffs and other cutbacks in the two years after the pandemic through a mix of fundraisers and increased donor contributions. On June 28, the museum planned to announce its largest and most unusual recent gift – a $5 million donation from Arkansas-based arts supporters Becky and Bob Alexander to help fund the museum’s exhibition program and its operation as one of New York City’s few free museums. In honor of the Alexanders’ donation, they will receive naming rights to the museum CEO’s job title, which will become the Becky and Bob Alexander Director & CEO of the American Folk Art Museum.

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AFAM unveils landmark exhibit of American weathervanes

Heart and Hand weathervane, created in 1839 by Ezra Ames and Bela Dexter of Chelsea, Mass. Photograph courtesy of David A. Schorsch and Eileen M. Smiles, Woodbury, Conn.
Heart and Hand weathervane, created in 1839 by Ezra Ames and Bela Dexter of Chelsea, Mass. Photograph courtesy of David A. Schorsch and Eileen M. Smiles, Woodbury, Conn.
Heart and Hand weathervane, created in 1839 by Ezra Ames and Bela Dexter of Chelsea, Mass. Photograph courtesy of David A. Schorsch and Eileen M. Smiles, Woodbury, Conn.

NEW YORK – American Weathervanes: The Art of The Winds will be on view at the American Folk Art Museum from June 23 through January 2, 2022. The comprehensive exhibition is the first in more than four decades to highlight the beauty, technical virtuosity, and cultural significance of American vanes fashioned between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. A full-color, illustrated, 256-page hardcover book, written by Robert Shaw and published by Rizzoli Electa in association with the American Folk Art Museum, accompanies the exhibition. The exhibition is organized by Robert Shaw, guest curator, and Emelie Gevalt, the Museum’s Curator of Folk Art.

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