How to Buy Folk Art
The term folk art describes a wide variety of arts and crafts created by members of certain social and ethnic groups. It represents the cultures and traditions of a society or country and the techniques used to produce it may be handed down from generation to generation. Folk art items include paintings, sculpture, pottery, paper mache and traditional costumes.
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Instructions
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Browse shows coordinated by folk art societies in your area. Most states have historical societies and similar organizations that feature items crafted by local artisans. In Los Angeles, for example, members of its substantial Mexican American population sponsor craft shows. Day of the Dead, "Dia de Los Muertos," traditionally celebrated the day after Halloween, highlights items like colorful paper mache skeletons dedicated to the deceased.
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Visit a folk art museum, or any art museum with a gift shop to buy some folk art. They often carry original or reproduced folk art paintings or sculptures for purchase.
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Travel to another country. You can buy original folk art from street vendors and stores in Mexico, other Latin American countries, Korea, Japan and just about any foreign destination. Learn more about different cultures and get beautiful art for your home this way.
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Go antiquing. Whether you buy art from a store or an Internet site, antique and collectible outlets sell a wide variety of Americana and Southern folk art. Antique stores and flea markets showcase quilts, baskets, cookie cutters and other items from U.S. regions like New England and Appalachia from the 1800s to present.
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Network with folk art collectors and craftspeople. Contact artists through galleries or their websites. Look at specialty sites like the Garde Rail Gallery (see Resources below), which sell folk and outsider art.
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