Browse by Period: Folk, Self-Taught, Outsider

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The Milwaukee Art Museum's commitment to the work of folk and self-taught artists began as early as 1951 with the gifts of two works by Wisconsin artist Anna Louisa Miller. During the 1960s and 1970s, the collection was significantly expanded when a number of important works were purchased including a major group of Shaker furniture and objects, an Ammi Philips portrait, a Wilhelm Schimmel eagle and John Kane's Bust of a Highlander. A major gift in 1981 from the estate of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch further enhanced the Collection's 19th-century holdings.

The 1980s also saw the Collection grow significantly in 20th-century material, culminating in 1989 with the acquisition of the renowned Michael and Julie Hall Collection of American Folk Art. The Hall Collection, comprised of some 273 works, remains the largest addition to the Folk and Self-Taught Collection and features works by Bill Traylor, Martin Ramirez and Edgar Tolson.

In an effort to explore the limits of the self-taught field, the Museum has also begun to acquire a substantial collection of works by European outsider artists thanks entirely to the vision and generosity of Milwaukee collector Anthony Petullo.

American Pair of Figures [1 of 2 figures], ca. 1880	American The Newsboy, 1888
Morris Hirshfield (American, 1872-1946) Dog and Pups, 1944, 1944	John Kane (American, b. Scotland, 1860-1934) Bust of a Highlander (Bust of a Scot), ca. 1925
Wilhelm Schimmel (American, b. Germany, 1817-1890) Eagle, ca. 1880	Edgar Tolson (American, 1904-1984) Man with Pony, ca. 1958
Bill Traylor (American, 1854-1947) Talking Couple, ca. 1940	Eugene Von Bruenchenhein (American, 1910-1983) Composite Portrait of the Artist's Wife, Marie, ca. 1940s
Eugene Von Bruenchenhein (American, 1910-1983) Portrait of the Artist's Wife, Marie (Standing), ca. 1940s	Adolf Wölfli (Swiss, 1864-1930) Breslau, Saint Adolf Castle, 1922