Tutto il mondo e paese-the whole world is hometown.(A favorite Italian proverb of Alexander Girard). Alexander Girard (1907-1993) amassed the largest cross-cultural folk art collection in the world. To date more than a million visitors have flocked to the folk art museum in Santa Fe to savor and take delight in the bright and beautiful objects that inspired the renowned architect and designer. Girard was captivated by the “handcrafted” cultures of the world and saw the tragedy of their demise. Yet as a collector he was looking not to capture the past but to nourish the spirit of mankind and encourage the art that we can create for ourselves now. The Girard Wing at the Museum of International Folk Art, designed by the collector to permanently exhibit some ten thousand pieces and visited by millions, continually affirms that Girard was right in believing that in folk art there are no foreigners. Folk Art from the Global Village features one hundred plates in full color and an essay by Jack Lenor Larsen. In all, more than one hundred countries are represented – African tribal sculpture, Mexican Day of the Dead figures, sub-Saharan textiles, toys from around the world, and much more. Presented in a popular gift format.
96 pages.