Tour of Two Exhibits at the American Folk Art Museum

Please join Rachel Strauber on Wednesday, October 23rd from 10:30 to noon for a tour of two exhibits at the American Folk Art Museum. The first, “Anything but Simple: Gift Drawings and the Shaker Aesthetic,” draws a contrast between the simplicity and elegance of Shaker design in furniture and the intricate, colorful and vibrant “gift” drawings. Made by women in the mid-19th century, the drawings are believed to represent divine messages and offer a glimpse into the spiritual world of the Shakers. 

The second exhibit, “Playing with Design: Gameboards, Art, and Culture”, presents a superlative collection of 100 hand-crafted boards made in the second half of the 19th century and a bit beyond. The board games Americans played give us some insight into popular themes of those times and show how skilled craftsmen expressed them. Some examples are similar to contemporary games. Some reflect the American appetite for risk and adventure - a whaling expedition game or a trip around the world. Others speak to fundamental values - morality, religion, patriotism and entrepreneurship. The exhibit also shows how the bold, geometric colors of the hand-painted boards seem to anticipate the shift toward modernism at the turn of the last century as seen in the works of artists like Piet Mondrian, Ellsworth Kelly and Jasper Johns.

The group will be limited to 10 members and will meet in the lobby of the museum shortly before 10:30. There is no charge, but donations would be greatly appreciated. Please click on the green REGISTER button below to register. 

Rachel Strauber, event host

www.carnegiehillvillage.org