Published March 23rd 2010
Have you been to the Met a million times? Can you give your own personal tours of the Guggenheim? Then try something new! Explore the world of craft and folk arts at two premiere museums—the
Museum of Arts & Design (formerly the American Craft Museum) and the
American Folk Art Museum.
In the Museum of Arts & Design you'll find objects made from a variety of materials--from flimsy paper to fragile glass. These imaginative creations stimulate eye and mind with their stunning colors, intricate patterns, and delicate forms. The museum's permanent collection features works by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, sculptor Sol LeWitt, glassmaker Dale Chihuly, stained-glass artist Judith Schaechter, and furniture designer Sam Maloof. Explore the world of clay in California Dreamers: Ceramic Artists or marvel at the creativity behind Slash: Paper Under the Knife, both temporary exhibits.
At the mid-town American Folk Art Museum, pure creative expression trumps names and traditional training. Their permanent exhibition, Perspectives: Setting the Scene in American Folk Art, pairs familiar art museum fare like paintings and sculptures with folk mediums like quilts, needleworks, pottery, and even weathervanes. All these objects invite you to think about environment and place in the artists' lives. Temporary exhibits feature landscape paintings by Thomas Chambers and the coloring books that inspired outsider-artist Henry Darger. End your workweek with free admission and musical performances every Friday.
Why? To celebrate creative souls.
When: Museum of Arts & Design, Tuesday - Sunday 11am to 6pm, Thursday 11am to 9pm, closed Monday; American Folk Art Museum, Tuesday - Sunday 10:30am to 5:30pm, Friday 11am to 7:30pm, closed Monday.
Where: Museum of Arts & Design, 2 Columbus Circle; American Folk Art Museum, 45 West 53rd Street.
Cost: Museum of Arts & Design, $15; American Folk Art Museum, $9.
