Museum of International Folk Art

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The Museum of International Folk Art is a state-run institution in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. It is one of eight museums operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The museum was founded by Florence Dibell Bartlett and opened to the public in 1953 and has gained national and international recognition as the home to the world’s largest collection of folk art. The collection of more than 135,000 artifacts forms the basis for exhibitions in four distinct wings: Bartlett, Girard, Hispanic Heritage, and Neutrogena.[1]

The Girard Wing’s popular permanent exhibition, Multiple Visions: A Common Bond, showcases folk art, popular art, toys and textiles from more than 100 nations. The exhibition is unique in that it was designed by the donor, Alexander Girard, a leading architect and designer. The collection includes toys and dolls, costumes, masks, textiles of all kinds, religious folk art, paintings, beadwork, and more. More than a million visitors have passed through the doors into the special world of Girard since the exhibition opened in 1982. Popular with children and the young at heart, the exhibit attracts visitors back into the museum to find an old favorite, or discover a new treasure in the gallery. Multiple Visions: A Common Bond displays approximately 10% of the collection, the exhibit and collection serve as an inspiration and resource for scholars, artists and educators from around the world, from preschool to college level.

The Museum’s prestigious Neutrogena Collection — donated by former Neutrogena CEO Lloyd Cotsen in 1995 — is comprised of more than 2,500 textiles, ceramics and carvings from all over the world. The quality and quantity of this collection make it a key national resource for the enjoyment and study of international textiles and costumes. [2]


The museum is at the center of Santa Fe's Museum Hill cultural district, and shares the Milner Plaza with another state-run institution, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology. Adjacent to both of these are the private Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and Museum of Spanish Colonial Art. [3]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Museum of International Folk Art website. [1] 10/16/2006
  2. ^ New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Web Site. [2] 10/16/2006
  3. ^ Official Museum Hill Web site [3] 10/16/2006


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