Students consider the special qualities of folk art through an exploration of works on view in temporary exhibitions and from the permanent collection. Participants develop visual literacy and critical thinking skills by working together to decode, comprehend, and critique works of art in the galleries through careful viewing, group discussion, and hands-on activities.

Students investigate folk and self-taught artists’ inventive use of traditional and unconventional materials in the creation of artworks, from textiles and clay to found objects such as bones, branches, and buttons. In-depth discussion explores the choices artists make in their design and execution, from appliqué to assemblage.

Students investigate character and setting through guided group discussion. Focusing on four or five objects, participants analyze how folk and self-taught artists depict individuals, communities, and place in their works of art, from rolling farmscapes and fantastical landscapes to self-portraits and portrayals of iconic figures.