Museum of International Folk Art

    Located on Museum Hill (accessed by a free shuttle bus from downtown Santa Fe), the Museum of International Folk Art was established in 1953 by Florence Diebell Bartlett. Now administered by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the museum's more than 135,000 artifacts are the largest collection of folk art in the world. Surrounded by beautiful vistas of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, this museum is comprised of four wings;

   GIRARD WING: showcases toys, dolls, textiles, beadwork, etc. from more than one hundred countries around the world;

   HISPANIC HERITAGE WING: established in 1988, this wing is the only Spanish/Hispanic art space in the state;

   NEUTROGENA COLLECTION; a group of more than 2500 pieces of ceramics and carvings from around the world which was donated by the CEO of Neutrogena, Lloyd Cotsen;

   BARTLETT WING; plays host to rotating exhibits.

The Museum of International Folk Art is one of those museums that can be accessed using the Cultural Pass - thus saving some money.

Situated on top of Museum Hill, with part of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in the background, the Museum of International Folk Art contains the world's largest collection of folk art...

...and is one of two public, and one private, museums on the hill.

One of the exhibits in the Girard Wing is this display of Neyalund, India artifacts. According to original beliefs, these woodcarved items are representative of the spirits active in the area.

Replica of a 19th century German town.

In Thailand, small houses in which spirits are believed to reside , such as this Spirit House, are erected entrance gates. The spirits are cared for and worshiped in the hope that they will ward off evil and bring good luck to the household.

Poster of Vincente Romero, considered the Godfather of Flamenco...

...and a 1965 photo of Jose Greco (Romero's inspirational role model) dancing with Lydia Torea in the film "Ship of Fools,"

Tramp Art, popular between 1870 and 1940, primarily consists of woodworking, usually from recycled materials, is distinquished by the use of layers and notches