In the United States of America, especially in the late 18th century and during the first decades of the century that followed, citizens of the former British colonies were largely united in beliefs stemming from shared European roots—and, of course, the need to break free of King George III, whose crown represented repressive ways of living and thinking. With the birth of their new nation in 1776, those adventure-seeking colonists found themselves embracing a new identity and a creative urge to perpetuate a reverence for life in a new world influenced by values and governed by laws made official by the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Over time, that original quest for a new identity has been superseded by a more mature willingness to embrace the innumerable identities that have come to the fore in the push-and-pull of multicultural representation. And yet, despite the increasingly broad scope in present times of ever-redefined identities, the vernacular artists of our “folk nation” remain linked to their creative compatriots (past and present) through an ongoing interest in memoralizing what makes this a homeland like no other.
As part of its celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday (or the semiquincentenary) and its own 65th anniversary as “the nation’s home for folk and self-taught art,” the American Folk Art Museum invites visitors to enter its galleries, linger there, and experience “Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States,” an exhibition devoted to the dynamic relationship between vernacular art and the “construction of an American sense of self.” Located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the museum—with admission always free-of-charge—offers access to “Folk Nation” from April 10 through September 13, 2026; after a break in the schedule (during which time the exhibition will not be available to visitors), “Folk Nation” will reopen on October 8 and remain on view through February 28, 2027.

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WRITTEN BY ROGER HARRIS

This story appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of MILIEU.