Folk Folk ArtArt

What is Folk Art?What is Folk Art?

Folk Art describes a wide range of objects that reflect the craft traditions, and traditional social values, of various social groups.

What is Folk Art?What is Folk Art?Folk art is generally produced by people who have little or no academic artistic training and use established techniques and styles of a particular region or culture.

What is Folk Art?

For the most part, "Folk Art" would exclude works executed by professional artists (fine art) and sold to society's aristocratic elite.

Folk Artists in Atlantic Canada

Mel CorkumMel Corkum - Self-taught artist Mel Corkum was born in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.

He retired in 1980 and settled in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Folk Artists in Atlantic Canada

Following his retirement he kept busy with arts and crafts, and began painting at the age of 87.

Unfortunately, because of failing health, he stopped painting in 2004.

Mel Corkum

Mel Corkum

Folk Artists in Atlantic Canada Craig ColpittsCraig Colpitts -Although still in his teens, his

work has quickly attracted a following. Craig is autistic, and finds expression through

his art. He started making books of drawings and

stories when he was just five years old.

Craig Colpitts

Craig Colpitts

Joe Norris

Joe spent most of his life in the small hamlet of Lower Prospect, Nova Scotia. After working in the fishing and construction trades, Joe Norris started painting when a severe heart attack forced him into early retirement in 1972.

By 1975, when he was "discovered" by antique dealer Chris Huntington, he was selling paintings to local people and to the occasional tourist.

Joe Norris

His work includes painted chairs, tables and chests as well as paintings, and is found in the collections of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and in many corporate and private art collections throughout North America.

Joe Norris died in 1996

Autumn Scene

Reflections

Donald Sabean

Don Sabean worked for many years as a labourer, berry picker and general jack-of-all trades.

He started painting in order to decorate his home, and was "discovered" when Stephen Outhouse, a well known Nova Scotian carver, visited him and saw his work.

Donald Sabean

In 1993, two years after his work was first made available publicly, a painting by Don was selected for the Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival poster.

Sadly, Don died of heart failure and diabetes only two weeks before the opening of the festival.

Maud Lewis Maud Lewis was born in Yarmouth County, and endured many hardships in her early life.

Maud Lewis As a teenager, she started to experience deformities of her face and hands as a result of polio.

Maud married Everett Lewis, and together they lived in a small one room house with sleeping loft, without benefit of electricity or plumbing.

Maud Lewis

Although she suffered from physical handicaps, she made hand drawn Christmas cards and later, small brightly coloured paintings, which she sold to help overcome their poverty.

Maud Lewis She also painted birds, flowers and butterflies on various parts of the tiny house in which they lived, and many articles within the house.

Examples of Maud's art can be found in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, which has reconstructed her house and installed it in the gallery as part of a permanent Maud Lewis exhibit.

References Black Sheep Gallery http://www.lighthouse.ca/ (June 9, 2006)

Folk Art. http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Folk_art (June 9, 2006)

Folk Art Canada http://www.folkartcanada.ca/EC_ML.html (June 9, 2006)

You Too Can Be a Folk ArtistChoose an Atlantic Canadian folk artist to imitate

On the canvas provided, draw a picture based on one of their works

You Too Can Be a Folk Artist Choose colours and paint your folk art so that it imitates the original artist’s work

Put a brief biography of the original folk artist on the back of the palate