March 12, 2019 | Lea C. Lane
Curatorial Assistant, Decorative Arts and Design, Cincinnati Art Museum
“Of the People: Folk Art in America”
Kentucky native Lea C. Lane is a specialist in American folk art. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Virginia, she worked for Dr. Wesley Cowan, a celebrated folk art authority, Americana auctioneer, and Antiques Roadshow appraiser. Lea earned her Master’s degree from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, where she authored an award-winning thesis, A Marvel of Taste and Skill: Carved Pipes of the American Civil War. Through positions at the Winterthur Museum, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and her current work at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Lea has continued to research, lecture, and publish. Her projects have ranged from English embroidery to contemporary Japanese ceramics, but Lea is most passionate about sharing the rich story of folk art in America.
Portrait of Amanda Clayanna Armstrong, Asa Ames, Evans, New York, 1847
Blanket Chest, Johannes Spitler, Shenandoah County, Virginia, 1800-1805
Sand Art Bottle: From Nannie to Nellie, Andrew Clemens, McGregor, Iowa, July 27, 1883
The Peaceable Kingdom, Edward Hicks, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1844
Housetop Quilt, Rita Mae Pettway, Gee’s Bend, Alabama, ca. 1990