Virtual Tour of "Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists"

Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists, currently on view at the American Folk Art Museum, takes a critical look at the historical definition of the “self-taught artist” in the United States from the early twentieth century to today. This exhibition examines how artists without academic training have depicted themselves, on their own terms, through the lenses of self-portraiture, alter egos, and autobiography.

Valérie Rousseau, Curatorial Chair and Senior Curator of 20th-Century & Contemporary Art, and Suzie Oppenheimer, Ponsold-Motherwell Curatorial Fellow and Research Associate, will lead a virtual walkthrough of the exhibition in dialogue with one another. Together, the co-curators will highlight drawings, paintings, sculptures, films, and notebooks on view in the gallery and explore how artists conceptualized and represented themselves over the last century.

Image: Joe Coleman, 'Voyage to Candyland.' 2026.