Responses and Reactions

Throughout American history, folk artists have responded to watershed events, social and cultural circumstances, and mass movements in their works of art. As a result, folk art often offers a snapshot of the cultural climate in a particular moment of time and can act as a springboard for discussion of complex, controversial topics in American history, such as racism, classism, sexism, mass media, popular culture, and the perpetuation of stereotypes. Because folk artists operate outside of the academy and the established world of art, their works document human perspectives like no other artistic genre can.

	Revolutionary Printing Grades 6–12 Learn about colonial textile printer John Hewson’s unconventional method of protest in rebellion against the English Crown. Replicate Hewson’s printmaking processes with ink or paint and printing foam or a potato.
	What’s in the News Grades 6–12 Discuss Ralph Fasanella’s complex painting Blind Newsdealer and contemplate the role of the news media in our everyday lives.
	Art as Protest Grades 6–12 Compare Jessie Telfair’s subversive Freedom Quilt with Purvis Young’s energy-filled Assemblage of Crowd Scenes. Explore the social commentary each artist proffers and discuss the efficacy of works of art as vehicles for protest.
	Baby Blanket Grades 6–12 Discuss New York artist Drunell Levinson’s unorthodox quilt Baby Blanket, constructed with inventive and surprising materials. Consider how art has served many as an effective platform for voicing concerns about social issues.