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Current Exhibits
at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
The Art of Steve Harley
This exhibition showcases the life and work of Steve Harley (1863-1947) who traveled to the Pacific Northwest and was inspired by such places as Wallowa Lake, Wind River and Mount Hood. His paintings capture the natural beauty of the places in stunning color. Only five paintings survive, all of which are owned by the museum and will be shown in the exhibition along with sketches and photographs. February 13, 2010 through December 2011.
Material Witnesses: Quilts and Their Makers
Material Witnesses: Quilts and Their Makers features textiles made as close as Virginia and as far away as the Polynesian Islands. Colonial Williamsburg curators have uncovered the stories of the past through the study and research of these quilts and coverlets, some of which were created as early as the 1830s.
Like the hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt, quilts can tell us a lot about the past and the people who created them. Sometimes the meanings are obvious, while other textiles reveal their tales more quietly, their stories teased out only through determined research into the genealogical roots of the makers.
About the Exhibit
- Includes 11 quilts, the earliest of which is dated 1835
- Includes 3 woven coverlets, the earliest of which is dated 1834
- Includes 1 embroidered coverlet
- Exhibit closes in April of 2012
The exhibit is funded by Mary and Clinton Gilliland of Menlo Park, Calif., through the Turner Gilliland Family Fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Sidewalks to Rooftops: Outdoor Folk Art
This exhibit in the Leslie Anne Miller and Richard B. Worley Gallery examines signboards, storefront figures, weather vanes, marine carvings, whirligigs, carousel animals, and other pieces originally intended for use outdoors. These 19th and 20th-century works survived the elements and bear witness to the creative spirit that once enlivened the American landscape. This exhibition was made possible by a gift from Barry M. Boone in loving memory of his wife, Linda. Ongoing exhibit in the Leslie Anne Miller and Richard B. Worley Gallery.
Scenes of Everyday Life: The Drawings of Lewis Miller
This exhibition in the Mary B. and William Lehman Guyton Gallery, features the work of 19th-century artist Lewis Miller. His fine, detailed drawings echo his observations of the places he visited and the people he encountered. Through September 25, 2010 in the Mary D. and William Lehman Guyton Gallery.
Cross Rhythms: Folk Musical Instruments
This exhibition in the Elizabeth M. and Joseph M. Handley Gallery features banjos, fiddles, and dulcimers from the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Highlights include a piano built into a chest of drawers and a record-playing hippocerous. Ongoing exhibit in the Elizabeth M. and Joseph M. Handley Gallery.
Down on the Farm
This exhibition in the Penelope P. and Dr. Sergio V. Proserpi Gallery follows the story of Prince, a carved wooden dog, as he explores the country side. This family-friendly exhibition features animals in paintings, sculpture and toys. Visitors read rhyming text that tells the adventures of Prince as he meets up with weathervane roosters, carved ducks, and wooden horses. Related sticker book and plush toy available in the Museum Store. Ongoing exhibit in the Penelope P. and Dr. Sergio V. Proserpi Gallery.
Inspiration and Ingenuity: American Stoneware
This exhibition features stoneware pieces from the nineteenth-century through the present day. The exhibition explores the tradition of decorating utilitarian stoneware and its evolution to an art form. Ongoing exhibit.
Conserving the Carolina Room
This exhibition in the Rex and Pat Lucke Gallery highlights the current research and conservation on a nineteenth-century painted room acquired by the museum in the 1950s. Each board, wainscoat and door have been investigated and treated to bring them closer to their original appearance. Ongoing exhibit in the Rex and Pat Lucke Gallery.
Exciting Expressions: Painted Furniture
This exhibition in the Mary and David Peebles Gallery displays case pieces, chairs and boxes that have been embellished with decorative treatments. Plain wooden pieces were made more lively and interesting with color, pattern and designs. Ongoing exhibit in the Mary and David Peebles Gallery.
We the People: Three Centuries of American Folk Portraits
This exhibition in the Gladys and Franklin Clark Foundation Gallery showcases the museum's extensive collection of paintings depicting people of the past. The exhibition will take a look at the motivation for creating the pieces and how portraiture changed over time. Through July 31, 2011, in the Gladys and Franklin Clark Foundation Gallery.
Introduction to American Folk Art
This exhibit in the Jan Curtis and Frank J. Spayth Gallery introduces visitors to the museum and to the collector Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Mrs. Rockefeller admired the artful expressions of non-academic artists from the past and present. She set out to acquire pieces that reflected the best of the American people. When she died in 1948, she left her extensive collection of folk art to Colonial Williamsburg. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in honor of his wife, built the museum in 1957 to display the collection. Ongoing exhibit.
Historic Triangle
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