Everyday Art

Australian Folk Art

Exhibition
25 Apr 1998 – 21 Jun 1998
a red hand embroidered quilt with Australian animals and a floral border motif.

Misses Hampson, The Westbury quilt, 1900-1903, purchased through the Australian Textiles Fund 1990

About

The National Gallery of Australia has included folk art in its acquisitions policy since the Gallery's inception. The Gallery's holdings constitute arguably the most important collection of folk art material in this country. It represents a cultural practice accessible to everyone and with something to offer those seeking to understand the human need to make objects. Folk art also offers a rich source for our sense of national identity as a people, a sense of our unabashedly Australian culture. Everyday art: Australian folk art celebrated the glories of everyday objects and provided audiences with the opportunity to view these treasures. The exhibition included a number of works from private collections and other institutions, showcasing Australian and Aboriginal art in furniture, textiles, ceramics, metalwork and domestic decorative objects

Following the display in Canberra at the Gallery, the exhibition toured to venues in Brisbane, Wollongong, Ballarat, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and Hobart. The exhibition was accompanied by a book which highlighted the importance and strength of the Gallery's collection of folk art. In addition, educational material was developed for primary and secondary students, to introduce children to the cultural value of this material and broaden the perception of art in everyday objects. The full national tour was made possible through the assistance of Visions of Australia, a Federal Government touring program.

Text sourced from: Logan, Jim. Everyday Art : Australian Folk Art. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 1998.

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