folk art

noun

: the traditional decorative or utilitarian art of the people that is often an expression of community life and is distinguished from academic or self-conscious or cosmopolitan expression

Along with exhibits showcasing such folk art as quilts, jewelry and toys, visitors learn about the influence of folk art on contemporary art through tours, programs, symposia and art workshops.

—Shawn Sell

Examples of folk art in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although the exhibition excluded historical styles, folk art—along with a range of other references such as exoticism, cubism, French neoclassicism and machinery—was incorporated into many projects. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 29 May 2025

All our folk art dazzles with the richness of its palette. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 15 May 2025

Lisa Rivers Fine Art for award-winning folk art from African American artist Lisa Rivers. —Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2025

Echoing the Orange Show in Houston or the Cathedral of Junk in Austin, the complex, established in 1971 at 2505 Martin Luther King Drive, looks like an explosion in a folk art factory. —Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for folk art

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart

Kids Definition

folk art

noun

: the traditional art of usually untrained people typically created by an unknown artist