The Illinois State Museum has a fine collection of folk art made or used in Illinois in the nineteenth century.
Folk art is art made by self-trained artists or trained artisans.
These artists made a wide variety of decorative works of art such as paintings, carvings, textiles, and pottery. Each of these works of art has a story behind them. The pieces of art chosen for this online exhibit have been organized by two types of stories. Every family has objects that have emotional and historical meaning associated with them. By writing down these associations, we enrich the objects for our descendants and for people who want to learn about our culture.