Florence Dibell Bartlett founded the world's first international folk art Museum.
As a witness to two world wars, Florence Bartlett believed that encouraging people
to interact with folk art and with one another would help promote cultural understanding.
Since the opening in September 1953, the Museum of International Folk Art has
gained national and international recognition as the home to the worlds
largest collection of folk
art».
The collection of more than 135,000 artifacts forms the basis for exhibitions
in four distinct wings: Bartlett, Girard, Hispanic Heritage, and Neutrogena. In
2003, the celebrated
50 years» of documenting, collecting, preserving and interpreting the
creative works of traditional artists from cultures around the world.
The
Bartlett Wing, named in honor of museum founder Florence Dibell Bartlett, offers
rotating exhibitions based on the museum collections and on field studies of specific
cultures or art forms. Exhibition in this wing have ranged from Turkish, Tibetan
and Swedish traditions to
New Deal era art» in New Mexico, recycled
objects»and mayólica»
and ¡CARNAVAL!»
The
Girard Wings popular long term exhibition, Multiple
Visions: A Common Bond», showcases folk art, toys, miniatures
and textiles from more than 100 nations. The late Alexander Girard, who contributed
his immense collection to the museum, designed this unorthodox and delightful
exhibition, which opened in 1982.
The
Hispanic Heritage Wing» of the Museum of International Folk Art is one
of the few museum wings in the U.S. which is devoted to the art and heritage of
Hispanic/Latino cultures. In September 2008, after nearly 20 years, the inaugural
exhibition Familia y Fe came down. The Museum envisions an exciting new
space where changing exhibits can take place on a larger scale. These exhibits
will showcase New Mexican Arts and culture but in exciting and unique ways, relating
New Mexico to the larger Latino/Hispano communities within our country and the
rest of the Spanish-speaking world.
The Neutrogena Wing» encompasses
the Cotsen Gallery and Lloyds Treasure Chest. The gallery provides an ideal
setting for exhibitions featuring textiles from the museums renowned collection
which includes the Neutrogena Collection, a gift to the museum from Lloyd Cotsen
and the Neutrogena Corporation in 1995. This international collection contains
exquisite textiles and garments as well as objects.
Lloyd's Treasure Chest» invites visitors to explore what goes
on behind-the-scenes in a museum and attracts all ages. The Neutrogena Wing opened
in 1998, expanding upon an ongoing public-private partnership that has characterized
the museums profile since its inception.
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