Bright, bold colors. Quaint and genuine. Beautiful in an unrefined way. These are just a few characteristics of the Schenectady County Historical Society’s folk art collection.

American folk art was born in the pre-industrial era, and consists of diverse objects created by regular people as a means of expression. This creative impulse, and our universal search for beauty, are at the core of SCHS’ latest exhibition, Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art.

Made and used by ordinary people, the folk art on exhibition reflects human needs, values, concerns, and desires. The art expresses the contrasts between the common and the elite, the urban and the rural, which characterize Schenectady’s past. At the root of Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art we ask, who were these artisans, and what does their art say about our shared past?

Journey with us through our region’s folk art in an exhibition co-curated by Susanna Fout and SCCC folk art professor Marilyn Sassi.  Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art features over fifty carefully selected pieces, most of which have never been displayed.