Acknowledgments First and foremost very special thanks to William C Ketchum Jr for sharing his vast wealth of knowl edge about folk art for reading over the manuscript and for helping steer me down the right path This book would not have been possible without his guid ance Also very special thanks to Mr Imagination a for taking the time to share his art and ideas with me His dedication to educating kids about art is inspir ing Thanks to Beverly Finster and Hildegard Bachert for taking the time to talk with me Thanks to Brother Arnold and the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community for answering my questions Thanks to Frank Iraggi and Elina Leonova for taking some excellent photographs Thanks to Peter Prommers berger for sharing his art works Thanks to Willy Heilmann for taking me to the Ivory Museum in Erbach and sharing his collection with me Also thanks to the following people who helped me in the course of my research Eva Arvai Msgr Donald Sakano Roger Nancoz Ruth Sellons Norman Giradot Rose Mary Vincent Kirsti Bloom Eleanor Sullivan Axel Uhrig Thanks to the Windsor Histori cal Society in Connecticut for providing some needed
information Thanks to Oster Jensen Antiques in Locust Valley New York for access to their folk art Thanks also to my wife Caren for her editorial skills and to Caren Matthew and Elizabeth for their patience and understanding Also thanks to my excel lent editors at Chicago Review Press Cynthia Sherry and Jerome
Foreword by William C Ketchum Jr Untitled by Bill Traylor circa 1940 Over the past two decades the number of art and antiques enthusiasts has increased exponentially Today millions of Americans create or collect folk art Writers have been quick to capitalize on this phe nomenon turning out hundreds of books designed to educate the enthusiast Up to now however these
texts have been directed solely to the adult market No one has thought to provide basic information for children and young adults despite the fact that they represent the next generation Richard Panchyk's American Folk Art for Kids repre sents an important first step in the education of these youthful art and antiques lovers and the field he has chosen is a particularly suitable one Folk art is read ily understood by all Children who are naturally drawn to painting and sculpture have an affinity for folk expression After all it relates directly to life The child with enthusiasm and an open mind can readily accept and appreciate a carved wooden doll or a toy house constructed of Popsicle sticks Apparent crudeness in construction and failure to follow the accepted canons of academic art which might turn off a sophisticated adult will be seen by the youthful enthusiast as signs of playfulness and artistic vigor In fact folk art which springs from the most innate needs and nature of humankind is the perfect field through which to introduce youth to the world of art and antiques Panchyk moreover has combined sound intro ductions to a variety of folk art fields with interesting hands on projects that allow the reader to experience and explore the same creative feelings that animate the folk artist This approach draws the child into the crafter's world and supplements the text making it more readily understandable In combination text
