American Folk Art Museum

Very unfortunately, a recent, subsequent visit to this venue (a May weekend) confirmed my most reluctant beliefs that this museum continues to discriminate against people of color. Yet again, I was ignored upon entry and even when I had asked a question concerning the exhibits on display, the rude staff member responded that I should have visited the website.
I implore all decent people who fervently hope for the betterment of humankind to avoid this despicable place which treats minorities abysmally. This is a heinous venue, and there are so many others which welcome those of color and which should deserve your attention. NOT this racist institution.

Jazz on Wednesdays around lunch time! Great artist with amazing voices are under the spotlight.
The museum itself is pretty small and showcases many portraits of masons, or portraits related to masons.

I didn’t get it.
Maybe we had bad luck with exhibits (?). I do not study art, I do not go out of my way to learn art, but I enjoy museums that offer information on the exhibits, the reasoning for the presentation, the reason the artist is note-​worthy.
There were drawings from random psych patients, from Switzerland, from a century ago. I did not get it.
I read about artists that were artists by not adhering to art… I did not get it.

A real gem. The suggested entry is $ 5. This small museum should be proud of its one of a kind exhibitions. Currently on view — Mystery and Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art. And I love their gift shop — always full of great gifts for all ages.

I love folk art. I love this museum. One of my favorites. I have several friends that make their living as artists. Folk art is America to me. I’ve been to this museum on so many occasions I can’t count them all. The exhibit that stands out in my mind is a display of the AIDS quilt. Quilting is truly an art!
If you get the opportunity to go to the museum I highly recommend. I have Christmas ornaments and other handmade items I’ve purchased. Like any other store they reduce the price seasonally. When you purchase an item at the Folk Art Museum you get a one of a kind piece.
If I had not moved I’d visit more often. It was a short walk from my apartment when I lived on the West Side. You have stores, restaurants and Central Park nearby. Go and spend the day!

This is a lovely museum which currently has a wonderful exhibit on Art Brut. This beautifully curated exhibit shows that art made by ordinary people and those with mental afflictions can often be of amazing quality. Most of the art in this exhibit was produced by inmates of insane asylums in Europe in the early 1900s.

such a cute museum! a hidden gem! only 3 or 4 rooms of stuff and i only gave a dollar. i wanna give more next time i go becuz this place is totally worth it. nice to go and relax to look at art.

Perhaps it is because of the United States’ relative young age but it’s not often that people get to see or learn about American art. Therefore, it is wonderful to visit this small museum that is dedicated to American folk art. From scenic paintings of early New England to racist statues of Native Americans used as marketing ploys in front of stores, the museum is filled with pieces that explore the good and bad of American history.
And since it is a museum with only about four rooms to walk through, it feels as though you can thoroughly enjoy each piece. You have enough time to read each placard and finish looking through everything on exhibit. It’s not as overwhelming as larger museums and thus, it is enjoyable in a different way. It is also free admission. However, I’m sure you’ll like it and end up giving a small donation.

Free is nice, but I wouldn’t plan to spend a lot of time at this museum as it is about two exhibit rooms of folk art. One thing I must mention is that the guards are very nice. Another visit to NYC we went to the American Indian Museum and that one you can spend hours looking at the exhibits, but the guard kept shushing us even though we were talking quietly about the exhibits. If you have an hour to spend and are by Lincoln Center I would say stop in and check out the exhibits.

As other visitors have mentioned in their reviews, this is a very small museum, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being able to focus on a single exhibit, instead of having your attention diverted to a dozen separate pieces, can be a refreshing experience. That said, I realize this museum isn’t for everyone. For fellow history buffs and fans of Americana, I would strongly recommend a visit, should they be in the vicinity. For everyone else, they can be forgiven for passing it up in favor of more colorful diversions.

I went there on Sunday 5÷31÷15. The museum had very little to offer. I donated a dollar on entry and I regretted wasting money and my time! I may have spent about 15 minutes there. It is better to avoid this place when you are touring NYC. Skip it!

First off, a few basic details. The American Folk Art Museum is small: there are only three exhibit rooms. At any given time, most of the space is taken up by the current exhibition or exhibitions: there is only a handful of permanent pieces on display. Even if you take things at a very slow pace and take time to enjoy the shop (which is quite large for a museum of this size), you probably won’t end up spending more than about 90 minutes here. For an average-​length visit, count on spending about 45 minutes. Admission is by suggested donation; so if you’re in the area and have only a little bit of time, you can stop in without feeling like you have spent too much money.
The exhibitions are generally excellent. Folk art is an umbrella term for a wide range of different art styles, and the museum puts on a variety of different exhibitions every year. Some shows focus on individual artists, while others focus on a particular type of art (e.g. tinsel painting) or on a theme (e.g. fashion inspired by folk art). Some focus primarily on self-​taught artists, while others mix the work of self-​taught artists with that of formally-​trained artists inspired by folk artists.
The one downside is that, sometimes, the curators’ commentary is thoroughly awful. There are times when the commentary feels unusually pretentious in a way that folk art itself rarely is. I am also thinking of one exhibit where the curator included a number of passive-​aggressive jabs at the artists and artwork being displayed. The enjoyment of an exhibition is diminished if one gets the feeling that the curator has a certain contempt for or condescending attitude toward the work on display.
The gift shop is, as mentioned above, large for a museum of this size. Even if you don’t have time for or don’t care for the exhibition (s) at any given time, the shop is worth a look: they have a lot of books, cards, toys, and other tchotchkes, all of it very tasteful and well-​made.

I gave one star because I can’t give zero. The biggest peace of stupid crap. No art of any kind can be found there. The museum’s shop had more character than the whole «museum». Run fast and run far. Save yourself a load of frustration

Great little museum. The gift shop is very fun and has a lot of little tchotchkes to choose from, and at reasonable prices.
The museum is a suggested donation of $ 5. You won’t spend all day here like you could at the Met or the MoMA, but it’s absolutely worth checking out and a good way to spend 45 minutes or so.
We came here and saw the Ralph Fasanella/​Willem van Geck exhibit that was on display. We would return if in the area.

Amazing place. And it is free. I will recommend anyone coming around Lincoln Center to check this place out. And lose nothing, but seeing an excellent little museum.

For me, the American Museum of Folk Art is never a destination, just a stopover to somewhere else. Admission is free and exhibits change often. Getting in off the busy street to a quiet cerebral space is so refreshing. Most recently I saw an interesting exhibit of fashions inspired by pieces of folk art. I love the gift shop: charming items, moderate prices.

Very small. I wouldn’t go if not already in the hood.

A sweet little museum with a great gift shop for the holidays. Unique items and a friendly staff.

Who are the American Folk and what is their art? Wait, emphasis needs to be on all three words, folks.
So you didn’t have formal artistic training and study under a European master… then your art may wind up in the American Folk Art Museum.
So you’ve had an extremely difficult life picking apples, raising a child and yet found time for self expression (that honestly resembles that of a child) and you’re a woman (added plus)…then your art may wind up in the AFAM.
Before sounding too much like Jeff Foxworthy’s redneck routine (good source of folk art there), I did genuinely enjoy touring the collection, more so than other, pricier museums in the same class of size.
Donations are recommended so in theory you can simply smile at the guard, perform a Jedi mind trick and be on your way. I gave close to the suggested $ 5 and for a brief moment felt like a patron of the arts.
And given the pressures of time, deadlines and having to be other places, you’ll really just need about 35 – 45 minutes to browse through the exhibits. (Browse and read the informative placards).
I enjoyed the exhibition of William Matthew Prior, especially his prints on the end of the world (circa mid 19^th century, not 2012!) Prior had to compete with the rise of daguerreotype photography, a tempting new option for the middle class families he specialized in painting. He was like the Sears Portrait Studio of the 1850’s!
The other exhibit is about Women’s Studies and features four unrelated artists working in different media. Like many a high class arts establishment, there’s tasteful nudity.
The gift shop has plenty of cutesy collectibles that may have originated in country homes but now occupy the undersized NYC apartments of folk art appreciators.
So 40 minutes browsing folk art, 20 minutes in the shop, an exhibit with nudity and some eschatological art, all for less than $ 5? Not a bad way to spend time on a Saturday afternoon.

This tiny museum was by-​donation when I arrived. It will take you only 40 minutes to see everything (that’s if you read every info plate, which you must.) It houses a lovingly thoughtful shifting assemblage of art brought together around mind-​bending themes, when I was there recently they were exploring the real and unreal and super-​real and it was a trip. Whenever you come you’ll get to eat up an incredible curation of outsider art, with stories that will blow you mind and break your heart. If you’re lucky enough to come with a folk musician you can watch the sideshow spectacle of eyes stretching wide and enjoy a wild ride of inspired conversation once armed with drinks outside.