American Folk Art Museum Staff Share Personal Favorites from Collection

The American Folk Art Museum in New York City has published a staff picks feature highlighting five works from its collection spanning four centuries. The museum, founded in 1961, focuses on self-taught and outsider artists. Among the selections is Patrick J. Sullivan's 1937 painting "An Historic Event" depicting King Edward VIII's abdication, chosen by Art Bridges Fellow Austin Losada for its compositional balance and textured surface. Sullivan, a house painter who completed only fifteen canvases, described his works as "parables in picture form." Assistant Registrar Lisa Machi Ortiz selected Lee Godie's "Untitled (Lee in a Large Hate)" from the 1970s, a photo booth self-portrait where the artist presents herself as an "Artist" without additional makeup. Senior Educator Natalie Beall chose Scottie Wilson's 1949 drawing "Scottie's Art Gallery, No. 2," which she interprets as a self-determined map of the artist's world. Shop Specialist Anna Karayorgi picked Joe Coleman's ongoing wearable artwork "Sunday Go to Meetin'" (1984–present), a vest covered in pins and memorabilia that treats collecting as visual art. Social Media Manager Tess Wagman selected Nicole Appel's 2014 colored pencil drawing "Hamburgers, Heels, and High Couture," noting its detailed combinations of fast food and fashion.