AFA Summer 2021

Summer 12 www.afamag.com | w ww.incollect.com W e can all take things for granted, particularly things in the periphery that are part of the natural landscape or built environment. We’re often so focused on getting to our destination that we don’t take the time to look around us or to look up. In glancing skyward, you may just see a weathervane atop a church steeple, municipal building, or barn. Weathervanes have a centuries-long history. And while people don’t need vanes to determine the direction of the prevailing wind, these sculptural objects often identified the purpose of a building and held a multiplicity of meanings for their original owners; they also represent a long- held connection with natural forces that hold such influence over our lives. Weathervanes had waned in general popularity by the early twentieth century. It was about this time, however, that collectors, artists, and gallery owners began to recognize them as representing “a uniquely American sense of artistry and ingenuity,” and began to “revere them as symbols of a bygone era” (pages 50–61). One of the most influential trend setters to promote weathervanes as worthy of collecting was New York City art dealer Edith Halpert (1900– 1970). As Deborah Child tells us in her article “In Search of New Horizons” (pages 62–71), starting in her Downtown Gallery in the early 1930s, Halpert, in collaboration with then-partner Holger Cahill (1887–1960), used folk art to expand the market for contemporary art by promoting the “dynamic relationship” between the two. Weathervanes as artworks proved so successful, Halpert continued to offer them in her galleries until her passing. Maxim Karolik (1893–1963), one of the most influential donors to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, was an early proponent of folk art as an expression of American artistic culture. In the 1940s, he encouraged curators to display it alongside the American furniture collections he also donated. Collecting Stories: The Invention of Folk Art, at the MFA until January 2022 (page 42), explores the evolution of the term “folk art,” using objects within the Karolik Collection of American Folk Art as points of discussion. It’s the stories that add layers to collecting. While some objects and artworks are acquired because they are stunning, valuable, or simply make one’s heart sing, it’s their stories that add depth. In this world where so much is disposable, cherish that which has seen the winds of time. We are but stewards of material in our possession and the stories we add will enhance the layers of patina. I look forward to seeing you at the antiques and art shows as they reopen. Be well. Johanna johanna@antiquesandfineart.com Photography by Ellen McDermott LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Established 1976 Clive Devenish Antiques (510) 414-4545 www.clivedevenishantiques.com clivedevenishantiques@comcast.net Member: Antiques Dealers' Association of America Fine Pair of Georgian 18th Century Plate Buckets. 14" high x 14" wide