Last June (2017) SLAM presented a show entitled “Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum” and I’m still thinking about it.
There are several levels of impact here for me. One is the juxtaposition of my background that included the privilege of attending college, a conservatory, and grad school and then going on and perpetuating that paradigm by being a college professor and eventually administrator. Another is simply the power and immediacy of the images. As a free improvisor, I deeply value the impact of spontaneous creativity that flows from the heart unbridled by worries of suitability or the pressure of learned peers. And then there’s the fundamental thrust of the show that in a new America it was desirable to be self-taught because educational institutions were few and opportunities were localized to only the major urban areas. For most of the country’s citizens, higher learning (or maybe even any level of formal education) was just not available. What drives this impact even deeper is that members of minorities are even more limited and this lack of educational opportunity was even more extremely true.
Freedom Quilt, Jessie B. Telfair (1913-1986). Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York
Things are not great, even today, but when I head in to the office and put on my administrator’s cap and gown, I really hope I can remember that we have a responsibility to open the doors of higher learning to as many people as we can possibly serve. I want to remember that everyone of us has an ability to take the opportunities of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and apply them to the fullest. That we all have a fundamental desire and ability to take what we know and what we have learned and apply it for the betterment of all our brothers and sisters.
Proof? This show is proof that even the most disenfranchised (either by race or by circumstances) pushed themselves forward to strive to express ideas that have impact and significance. The power of this show was not only the imagery, the works themselves, but the bravery and conviction of putting this perspective forward. It made me think, a lot, about my own academic’s understanding of the trajectory of art and culture and discover an entirely new way of appreciating and seeing the potential of our times.
You can read more about the show at St Louis Magazine. https://www.stlmag.com/culture/visual-arts/self-taught-genius-brings-the-michelangelos-of-folk-art-to-s/
JH
