Keepers Of Tradition
 
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  useful things made beautiful Enter Collection
 
gold colored block
Cow weathervane by Travis Tuck, 2001. Photo by Maggie Holtzberg.
Rosemaling bowl by Rebecca Wilhelmsen, 2007. Photo by Jason Dowdle.
Anahid Kazazian holding marash work done by her grandmother, c. 1866. Photo by Maggie Holtzberg.
decorative arrows
 
"As beautiful as they are, I'm sure they were made for warmth first." Helmi Salo, Finnish weaver, Fitchburg.
Many folk art forms developed as a way to address practical problems — to carry things, to store food, to keep warm. Today, we have Tupperware, electric blankets, and Target — few people would carry a handmade Nantucket lightship basket out to collect blueberries or potatoes. Objects once made primarily for practical use are now made to be collected, displayed, and admired.
In addition to use and beauty, these objects can be shorthand for belonging and ethnic heritage, or a symbol of home.
At the same time, the makers of many folk art objects think of their work in terms of the function they serve in daily life: a carved decoy to dupe ducks, hooked rugs to bring color and warmth into a home in winter, hand-carved signs, and stone walls to mark the landscape. However, they show a high level of mastery and reflect individual artistic choices within a specific tradition. These are useful things made beautiful.
In addition to use and beauty, these objects can be shorthand for belonging and ethnic heritage, or a symbol of home. They express who these artists are, where they come from, and what they value, including the satisfaction of making something by hand.