Upon its opening in 1982 at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., “Black Folk Art in America, 1930-1980” shook the art world. The show was the first to highlight the work of self-taught black artists and introduced curators to an “undiscovered” scene that flourished in close-knit black communities in the South. To many black artists, however, the Corcoran show reeked of marginalization. Many significant black folk artists were excluded, and some challenged the distinction Corcoran made between fine art and folk art. When the exhibition came to Chicago in April 1984, instead of being shown at an art gallery it was displayed alongside cultural artifacts at the Field Museum. Despite the odd location, the show inspired collectors in Chicago to learn about and purchase more outsider art.
Tennessee artist William Edmondson (1874-1951) was the first African-American artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Some of the former tombstone carver’s sculptures were included in the Corcoran show, but not his statuette Angel, which would be as fitting in a graveyard as in an art gallery.
Opening reception Fri 7/15, 5:30-8:30 PM Through 1/2/17 Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art 756 N. Milwaukee 312-243-9088art.org
