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As you look around you may notice something a little out of place: metal robots hanging from the ceiling, suspended in aerial battle. Being a huge Transformers fan and science fiction nerd, these robots always caught my eye. In fact, these robots are just one example of mass-produced toys, which are not folk art, being displayed alongside folk art in the Girard collection. So what exactly are these robots? Why are they not folk art? And why were they included in Girard’s collection?

When you visit the Museum of International Folk Art, you will come across our exhibit, Multiple Visions: A Common Bond, located in the Girard Wing. It holds a folk art collection assembled by Alexander Girard, a renowned architect and designer known for his brilliant work and an impressive collection of folk art. With the help of his wife, Susan Girard, they were able to curate an…

In the Neutrogena Wing of the Museum of International Folk Art, there is an exhibit called Between The Lines: Prison Art and Advocacy. The space is colored by warm, muted, tones of greens, purples, pinks, and blues. As one walks through, they see a combination of art made by imprisoned persons and by community engagement initiatives.

Have you seen MOIFA’s Staff Picks: Favorites from the Collection Exhibit? If so, you may have seen one of this intern’s favorite pieces in the whole museum and the exhibit: The Kashmiri Sitar! In case you are unfamiliar with the Sitar, here is some interesting background! The Sitar is a stringed instrument of the lute family, and has been around for a very long time. However, we don’t know who actually invented the sitar. Scholars have various theories… Come see this amazing musical instrument before Staff Picks closes Aug 18th!

The Staff Picks exhibit at MOIFA is all over the place. Literally! There are pieces from all over the world there. That’s why I’d like to highlight a really awesome piece, the mbira dzavadzimu (ehm-BEE-rah zah- vahd-ZEE-moo)! Mbira dzavadzimu means “voice/mbira of the ancestors”. It is traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. During the 19th century the instrument was banned… Now you can see one in Staff Picks!

This Docent’s Choice post comes from Diana Mamalaki — a docent with both MOIFA and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. With her selection of this pillow cover, woven by a young Cretan bride for her trousseau, Diana reflects on the strong women of her own family in the mountain village of Rodakinon, and the appreciation they instilled in her for family, culture, and the arts.​

Since the Spring of 2020 women belonging to embroidery groups in South Africa and Chile have been representing how the coronavirus has affected their lives and that of their compatriots.

MOIFA research associate Dr. Frank J. Korom offers this mahatmya (“panegyric”) in memory of Gurupada Chitrakar of Naya, West Bengal, India.

Guest contributor America Meredith shares a reflection on mask-making by Native artists in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as seen in selected pieces from First American Art Magazine’s 2020 virtual exhibition, Masked Heroes: Facial Coverings by Native Artists.

Docent Leah Gibbons offers this week’s Folk Art Piece of the Week post: a look at the hamsa, a powerful symbol shared for centuries across North African cultures. Leah guides us to the array of hamsas displayed among the amulets, ex-votos, and milagros in the entryway to MOIFA’s Multiple Visions exhibit and — if you look carefully in the exhibit hall — within and above Alexander Girard’s Moroccan scene.

In this series, MOIFA’s docents explore our collections online and select a favorite piece to share with you. This week, Edelma Huntley travels vicariously to the markets of Acatlán de Osorio through the lively market scenes of artist Herón Martinez Mendoza.