What is Folk Art?

On Sunday, July 13, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., the Elkhart County Historical Museum will host “What is Folk Art?,” a program to try to distinguish the terms folk art, craft, fine art, outsider art, and primitive art.

The program will be led by Professor Emeritus Ervin Beck, who taught English and Folklore at Goshen College. Beck’s numerous publications on folk art and folklore include Joe Wright: Goshen Folk Hero, MennoFolk: Mennonite and Amish Folk Traditions, and Mennofolk2: A Sampler of Mennonite and Amish Folklore. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Elkhart County Historical Society.

Generally a folk artist is someone who has not received formal training, but practices a form of art passed through generations. Folk art can be anything from duck decoys to needlework, or even objects with distinctive cultural elements.

Included in the program will be a “show and tell” element to highlight local examples of folk art. Beck will show examples from his personal collection. The museum will also show elements of its collection of locally made folk art. Participants are also encouraged to bring and share their own examples of folk art, especially family heirlooms. Beck and the museum staff will also be able to help identify “unknown pieces” in a personal collection.