MILWAUKEE, WIS. — Among the oft-times overlooked glories of American art are creations of self-taught or folk artists. This authentically American artistic expression, growing out of a robust independent streak in our national psyche, has produced works unfettered by academic influences or the classical European style that dominated the art world in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. Inspired by regional cultural traditions, ethnic motifs or a myriad of other influences, these homegrown craftsmen and women have produced works of unusual beauty, power, whimsy and wonder. They have brought unsung voices to American art, reflecting the genius of independent folks with skills, imagination and often messages to share. Drawing on the museum’s pioneering collection of folk art that dates to 1951 — when few other museums were actively acquiring it — the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) has mounted a huge exhibition titled “Uncommon Folk: Traditions in American Art.” Curated by Margaret Andera and on view through May 4, it draws on the museum’s folk art trove that now numbers 1,500 objects. ... Read more