Teacher's Guide for FOOTSTEPS Folk Art

Let's begin with the sidebar at the end of the first article, "From Obscurity to Fame." What are the different functions or uses for the objects we call folk art? (practical, decorative, symbolic, ceremonial, or recreational; that is, objects we can use, admire for their beauty, understand what they represent, use in ceremonies, or enjoy, such as toys)
How do people become folk artists? (They teach themselves to paint, draw, and make sculptures without necessarily going to formal art school.) Why do you think this is important? (It means that anyone who is inspired to create this art can do so - you can make folk art yourself!)

Now let's read the article while keeping the title in mind. What is one big difference between folk artists of today and long ago? (Today the artists are more often known by their names, whereas in earlier times folk artists were mostly anonymous; we do not usually know them by their names because they did not sign their work.)
How does the author describe African American folk art in general? (It represents the artists' connections to their cultural heritage, their spiritual nature, and their thinking about political and social matters.)
Name some objects originally made to be used but are now shown in museums for everyone to enjoy as folk art. (hand-sewn quilts, carved wooden figures, and pottery)

In "The Quiet Legacy," the writer points out that quilts around the world have traditionally been made by whom? (women) What are the three parts that make up a quilt? (the patterned top, the interlining, and the backing) What holds them together? (stitching) What is a "quilting bee?" (a gathering of women getting together to stitch the layers into one coverlet - it was a social occasion like a party) Don't you think it would have been more fun to work in a group than alone? What material was used to make the patterns? (cloth scraps) How did enslaved blacks in the south describe how cold the weather was? ("one-quilt" or "two-quilt") How did African American slaves sometimes use quilts in the 1800s? (Certain patterns and colors were codes. The quilts were hung outside where they could be seen and help guide escaping slaves to freedom in the north.)
How and when did African American folk sculpture begin? See page 12. (As early as the 1600s, in Colonial America, slaves made bowls, plates, and cooking pots from clay and wood because they needed utensils for cooking and eating. This means they were made to be used, not to be admired as folk art.)

Who was Dave Drake? (a slave poet-potter from South Carolina) What three achievements are reasons to remember his name? (He could read and write in a time when slaves were not educated; he was strong and skilled enough to throw 40-gallon jars on the pottery wheel; and he wrote poetry and inscribed it on the shoulders of the jars, all remarkable accomplishments for a slave in the 1800s.)

See the sidebar at the end of this article. What special technique did the potters master in order to make the jars? (Even though they fired the eyes and teeth at a higher temperature than the clay body, the porcelain pieces did not fall out.)

See the article, "William Edmondson, Miracle Worker." What materials did this tombstone carver use? (discarded roadside curbing, old railroad spikes, and household mallets) What do they tell us about many folk artists? (They show how ingenious folk artists made use of the materials they had at hand.)

When we talk about the materials artists use to create their work, the word "medium" is used. What medium did the following folk artists use? David Butler, Clementine Hunter, and Horace Pippin (Butler/tin, Hunter and Pippin/paint) What are some other mediums used by folk artists mentioned in this issue? (cloth, clay, wood, stone, grasses, metal, and different discarded objects)

Where did Winfred Rembert get the ideas for his paintings? (from his own life experiences and from observing the people he saw around him)

The article "Adapting to the New World" describes the "Gullah" community and culture of the South Carolina coast. Where does the word "Gullah" come from? (probably from Angola, the slaves' homeland in Africa) What is a "fanning basket" or "fanner?" (a flat wide basket used to separate the rice from the unwanted chaff) What do they tell us about many folk artists? What is a "show basket"? (a basket made to be sold as a souvenir at roadside stands) Note that the fanning basket was useful while the show basket was meant to be decorative rather than functional.

Look at "Black Colleges to the Rescue." What was one of the chief aims behind the establishment of colleges for African Americans? (to help students develop a sense of their racial history, their own self-understanding, and pride in their accomplishments) What is one important way that these colleges have helped in this development? (by collecting and saving folk art and documents that would otherwise have been lost) How else did the colleges contribute to this aim? (by providing art training)

When art is collected, it must be taken care of properly and that's where conservators come in. See "Conserving a Legacy." Conservators receive special training so that they can preserve, repair, and restore works of art. Can you think of what might cause damage to art works? (exposure to direct sunlight; too much moisture, heat, or dryness; rolling canvas causing the painting to crack; inferior paints; and age)

Which of these words can be used to describe the different examples of folk art shown in this issue? creative, lively, direct, colorful, spiritual, cultural, political, historical, simple, sophisticated, poetic, functional, practical, decorative, symbolic, ceremonial, recreational, humorous (All of them apply to one or more of the objects illustrated.)

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Updated: 11/21/09 05:25 pm
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