WOBURN, MASS.- In an unprecedented move, InCollect, the go-to destination for enthusiasts of art, antiques, and design, has devoted an entire section of its website to folk art. According to InCollect founder, John Smiroldo, “We decided to present folk art differently than anywhere else because interest was so high. Previously we included folk art within other categories but we’re now highlighting it as its own featured section in our top level toolbar alongside Fine Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts, Jewelry & Watches, and Interior Design.” Smiroldo adds, “This move speaks to the value we see in this area for collectors of this important category.”

InCollect users can discover folk art through the general folk art field or by the specific drop-down categories of Objects, Furniture, Paintings, Textiles, Works-on-Paper, or Ceramics and Glass. Material is also searchable by keywords such as weathervanes, portraits, trade signs, decoys, baskets, canes, etc., or by identifiers such as Patriotic, Outsider, African American, Masonic, and Military, among others. Visitors can also locate specific professionals who offer folk art, such as David Schorsch-Eileen M. Smiles, Allan Katz, Jeff Bridgman, Joan Brownstein, Jeffrey Tillou, Elliott & Grace Snyder, Kelly Kinzle, Don Olson, Greg Kramer, Austin T. Miller, and Just Folk, among many other leading authorities. Says Smiroldo, “InCollect has given folk art the focus it deserves in an entirely searchable manner and at prices ranging from $200 to six figures.” In addition to the industry-leading folk art dealers currently on the site, InCollect continues to expand the number of distinguished dealers showcasing their inventory.

Serious interest in folk art has its roots in the early twentieth century, when its naïve, sculptural quality first attracted the attention of Modern artists and collectors. Early twentieth-century artists and sculptors such as Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Marguerite and William Zorach, and Elie Nadelman, among others, collected and decorated their homes with paintings, decoys, textiles, and other folk art, aesthetic strands of which are evident in their own works. Dealer Edith Halpert (1900‒1970) sold both folk art weathervanes and contemporary art out of her Downtown Gallery in Manhattan, and she was among a number of dealers and collectors whose vision encouraged interest in the cross-over markets. Shelburne Museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888‒1960) was also an early collector of folk art, which now fills the many buildings on the property. She was also a collector of modernist paintings and sculpture. Notes director, Thomas Denenberg, “You can’t really have folk without a sense of modernity and modernism. Folk and modern art are two sides of the same coin.” Adds InCollect founder, John Smiroldo, “Folk art’s timeless forms and designs are as relevant and desirable now as when first created; the right folk art pieces blend beautifully in a contemporary setting.”

The current demand for high-quality folk art can be attributed in part to a renewed interest in craft traditions and handmade objects, spurred by such contemporary phenomena as the DIY-centric “Maker Movement.” In addition to long-time collectors, dealers, and connoisseurs, a new era of folk art enthusiasts is being indoctrinated, from interior designers scouting one-of-a-kind objects to young collectors. In response, InCollect presents high-quality folk art from the industry’s best dealers at a range of price points. According to InCollect folk art dealer, Allan Katz, “Playing folk art to a decorative audience is terrific as that’s where a lot of the action is now. A lot of decorators are telling their clients that they should be more eclectic rather than creating a single-themed environment.”

InCollect highlights this inherent modernity by presenting folk art listings in a clean and visually striking manner. Smiroldo says, “We insist on great photography and we present each object by itself on a gray background so that people can really focus on the unique and beautiful nature of the objects just as they do with sculpture.”

InCollect’s carefully curated folk art section represents quality folk art from recognized and respected dealers in the industry. With search categories that are more accessible than any other art and design site, exceptional folk art has never been more discoverable than on InCollect.