Chartered as the Museum of Early American Folk Arts when it was founded in 1961, in New York City, the Museum originally focused on the vernacular arts of 18th and 19th century America, especially of the northeast. The institution adopted a more inclusive name – Museum of American Folk Art – in 1966. Over the years, it established a national and international reputation as a leading cultural institution dedicated to the collection, exhibition, and study of traditional and contemporary American folk art.
