Folk art in Georgia

Each year, my first graders learn a little about folk artists from our state such as Howard Finster and Nellie Mae Rowe. We learned that they came from very large families, lived and worked on farms, had little or no schooling, and taught themselves to make art. They often made pictures of farm life, because it was familiar to them, and they used materials they had on hand rather than buying art supplies at a craft store. Quilting and sewing are also important in folk art - and old clothing and fabrics become repurposed for these. Here are some of our folk art paper quilts and our stitchery. We were proud to learn to thread needles and create stitches!