Vasari Art Codex

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 5 link 8 artists

Reclaiming the Self-Taught Artist’s Creative Identity

The American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) in New York will present "Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists" this spring, a major exhibition examining the historical definition of the "self-taught artist" through authorship, agency, and self-representation. Featuring over 90 works spanning the early 20th century to today, the show is organized around three strategies—self-portraiture, alter egos, and autobiography—and includes pieces by Henry Darger, Clémentine Hunter, Martín Ramírez, Aloïse Corbaz, Adolf Wölfli, Nicole Appel, Susan Janow, and Joe Coleman, many on view for the first time.

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New NYC exhibit highlights art of self-made artists

The American Folk Art Museum has launched "Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists," a new exhibition exploring how self-taught creators define their own identities. Spanning from the early 20th century to the present, the show features a diverse array of mediums including painting, photography, and sculpture. Key works include John Kane’s 1928 self-portrait, which reflects his immigrant experience, and Joe Coleman’s contemporary reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic.