Folk Art of the Andes at the Museum of International Folk Art

Museum of International Folk Art

Folk Art of the Andes

Most Comprehensive Exhibition of South American

Folk Art Ever To Be On View

(Santa Fe, NM, January 19, 2011) - The Museum of International Folk Art opens a major exhibition, Folk Art of the Andes, April 17, 2011. This will be the first exhibit in the United States to feature a broad range of folk art from the Andean region of South America, showcasing more than 850 works of art primarily dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The exhibit runs through February 2012. For images click here..

The creative accomplishments of the Andean people of the highland region of South America are prominent among the folk art legacies of the world. The curator for the exhibition, Dr. Barbara Mauldin, states “the Folk Art of the Andes exhibit explores the influence of Spanish arts and cultural introduced during the colonial period and shows how much of the work produced after independence in 1829 reflects the interweaving of indigenous craft traditions with European art forms and techniques.”

The collection of Andean folk art in the Museum of International Folk Art was started with an initial gift from the museum’s founder Florence Dibell Bartlett and has grown to more than 6,000 objects. Drawing from this renowned collection and other private and public collections in the United States, Folk Art of the Andes includes religious paintings, sculptures, portable altars, milagros, amulets, and ritual offerings.  Traditional hand woven ponchos, mantles, belts, and bags are shown, along with women’s skirts, hats, and shawls adapted from the Spanish.  Jewelry, wooden trunks, silverwork, majolica ceramics, carved gourds, house blessing ornaments, and toys reveal not only the craftsmanship of the work, but the ways the objects function in everyday life. Also explored are Andean festival cycles with lavish costumes and a variety of masks.

The exhibit will be accompanied by a richly illustrated 300 page catalog. Public programming related to the Andes show will take place throughout the year.

Media Contacts
Barbara Mauldin, Curator of Latin American Art
505-476-1222
Barbara.mauldin@state.nm.us

Steve Cantrell, PR Manager
505-476-1144
310-3539 - cell
Steve.cantrell@state.nm.us

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The Museum of International Folk Arthouses the world’s largest collection of international folk art, with ongoing exhibitions Multiple Visions: A Common Bond in the Girard Wing and Familia y Fe in the Hispanic Heritage Wing. Changing and traveling exhibitions are offered in the Bartlett Wing and exhibitions highlighting textiles are featured the Neutrogena Wing.   Lloyd’s Treasure Chest offers visitors interactive displays about collections and how museums care for collections. 

The Museum of International Folk Art is a Division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.


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I really, really want to go see this!

(Rachel)

Folk Art of the Andes at the Museum of International Folk Art