Young Brides, Old Treasures:
Macedonian Embroidered Dress
In the Cotsen Gallery, Neutrogena Wing through January 6, 2013
Until the mid-twentieth century, Macedonian women wove, embroidered, and wore magnificent ensembles of dress that indicated to a knowing eye what village and region they came from and where they were in the cycle of life. From puberty through betrothal, marriage, child bearing, and old age, dress changed to reflect status change. Historic ensembles, no longer made but preserved in the museum, also illustrate the tumultuous political history of the region; pan-Slavic, Byzantine, and Ottoman influences can be seen in embroidered motifs, materials, garments, and jewelry. The outstanding collection the Museum has dates primarily from 1890 to 1920 with some later pieces from the 1950s. On display will be 27 mannequins in multi-layered ensembles as well as individual garments and pieces of jewelry belonging to Museum of International Folk Art; the Collection was made completed with a recent, large donation from the Macedonian Arts Council» so that it is today the largest and most comprehensive museum collection in the United States. The exhibition will accompanied by a catalog of the same name, and closes January 6, 2013. (Photo: Detail, Wedding dress. Miyak, Smilevo, Demir Hisar municipality, c. 1900. Wool, cotton, silk, metallic thread, metal, glass beads, plastic. The Ronald Wixman/Steven Glaser Collection. Photography by Addison Doty.)

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Multiple Visions: A Common Bond
Long-term Exhibition, Girard Wing
This unique exhibition designed by the collector and donor, Alexander Girard». Since the opening in 1982, more than a million visitors have been delighted by the richly varied displays of toys, and traditional folk art from more than 100 countries. Take a tour with a Docent, or explore the text -free gallery on your own with the printed gallery guide or Ask about the NEW multimedia tour at the front desk!
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Folk Art of the Andes
in the Hispanic Heritage Wing September 9, 2012, and in the East Bartlett Gallery on March 10, 2013
A major exhibition featuring over 850 works of art from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This diverse group of Andean folk arts includes weaving, embroidery, woodcarving, ceramics, painting, and metalwork, reflecting the interweaving of indigenous craft traditions with European art forms and techniques. (Photo, above: Woman's Sidesaddle Stirrups, Argentina, early 19th century, Silver, 5" x 8.75". Photo by Blair Clark) The exhibition provides a window into the rich spirit and culture shared by the peoples of this highland region of South America through works ranging from costumes, jewelry, utilitarian items, and toys to those used in religious practices and festivals. The exhibit will be accompanied by a richly illustrated 300 page catalog. In addition, public programming related to the Andes will take place throughout the year. The exhibition closes in the Hispanic Heritage Wing September 9, 2012, and in the Bartlett Gallery on March 10, 2013. Funding for this exhibition was generously provided by the International Folk Art Foundation, the Friends of Folk Art of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Connie Thrasher Jaquith, and the Museum of International Folk Art Development Team.

The Arts of Survival:
Folk Expression in the Face of Natural Disaster
In the Gallery of Conscience, West Bartlett, through May 6, 2012.
Explores how folk artists have helped their communities recover from four recent natural disasters: the Haitian Earthquake; Hurricane Katrina on the U.S. Gulf Coast; floods in Pakistan; and the volcanic eruption of Mt. Merapi in Indonesia. As tragic events are retold through works of art, such as carnival masks, scrolls, paintings, or vodou flags, the events and the pain they brought is made more manageable. When the force of the Earth breaks the world into pieces, the pieces can be collected and sold to bring an artist a step closer to economic recovery. Exhibition curator Dr. Suzanne Seriff said; "The Arts of Survival provides a window to the many ways contemporary folk artists use what they know best to respond to natural disaster with vision, perseverance, dignity and imagination-even in the midst of political infighting, infrastructural log jams, and environmental after affects. The Arts of Survival: Folk Expression in the Face of Natural Disaster is the second installation in the Museum of International Folk Art's Gallery of Conscience, and will close May 6, 2012. (Photo above: Evelyn Alcide, Port Au Price, Haiti. Seisme (Earthquake) Satin, plastic, glass, cotton thread 37" x 49.5"). The opening is part of International Folk Arts Week, the exhibition continues though May 6, 2012.

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