Personal Identity

Works of folk art mirror the belief systems, social roles, passions, plights, worldviews, and biographies of the individuals and communities that create them. By examining works of folk art critically, one has a unique opportunity to explore the changing social conventions that have pervaded American culture since colonial days. At the same time that this process reveals cultural trends in different time periods, careful contemplation of these objects also offers insight into the individual self-expression of their makers. The collection of images in this section illuminates the individuality of the artists, one of the four guiding themes of the museum’s permanent collection.

	New World Aristocrats Grades 6–12 A comparison of two eighteenth century portraits informs students’ ideas about gender, class, and social norms in the 1700s. What information about an individual or a community can be revealed through portraiture, and what information might be effectively concealed or left out?
	The Missing Bridegroom Grades 6–12 Explore a Civil War–era quilt top and the social norms and ideals it depicts. Compare these ideals with modern-day values, and create an original appliqué work reflecting messages relevant in today’s world.
	Cataclysm and Victory in a Realm Apart Grades 6–12 Consider notions of good and evil, hero and villain, and male and female by exploring the graphic and imaginative work of Henry Darger, whose fantastical images illustrate his 15,000-page novel that chronicles a child-slave rebellion. Develop an original work of art employing some of Darger’s methods, incorporating images from popular culture.
	Home Leave Grades 6–12 A family portrait by Puerto Rican artist Nick Quijano Torres asks viewers to contemplate presence and absence, familial relationships, and the blending of cultures. Students consider portraiture conventions and effective strategies for symbolizing individuals’ personalities by creating their own family portraits.