Indiana Folk Arts: 200 Years of Tradition and Innovation

Abstract

The exhibition “Indiana Folk Arts: 200 Years of Tradition and Innovation” and its associated catalogue developed out of years of field research documenting the traditions of Indiana. After receiving the support of the Indiana Bicentennial Commision, as well as funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, students and staff of Traditional Arts Indiana (TAI) began to create a portable exhibit that would showcase the cultural, geographic, and artistic diversity of our state. TAI and the Mathers Museum of World Cultures are proud to present a series of twenty-six exhibit panels that will travel around Indiana at public libraries, state parks, and festivals. In the pages that follow, we provide a sampling of the Indiana artisans whose work spans many genres and styles. As our exhibit states:

"For more than 200 years, Indiana has been home to a wide variety of folk arts. Through telling the stories of specific artists, this bicentennial exhibit highlights the important work of individuals in the continuation of traditional arts in our state. While some create art based on skills they learned from their family or in their community, others have reinvented established forms, taking them in new directions. From beadwork and blacksmithing to rug weaving and limestone carving, the artisans featured here represent a few of the many threads within the creative fabric of Indiana."

Through this exhibition and catalogue, TAI celebrates the past two centuries of Indiana folk artistry. As these traditions continue, we hope that these stories provide a promising glimpse of what is in store for Indiana’s future.