The Original Makers: Folk Art from the Cargo Collection

By Emily G. Hanna Ph.D. and Gail C. Andrews In commemoration of Alabama’s Bicentennial, the Birmingham Museum of Art is proud to present The Original Makers: Folk Art from the Cargo Collection, an exhibition featuring more than 160 outstanding works of folk art from the Museum’s permanent collection.As a new generation of Southern makers explores the joy of creating, this exhibition celebrates the artists who have lived in our midst, inspired by their life experiences, their faith, their communities, and the landscape around them. Documenting many Southern ways of life, in all their variety, The Original Makers explores themes that have inspired self-taught and craft artists over many decades, including scenes of daily life and work, nature, faith and religion, patriotism, and music. Works of art range from stunning quilts, drawings and paintings, to wooden and metal sculptures, and functional objects such as bird houses – all made in Alabama and several neighboring states.A special fo