Self-taught artists are usually introduced through someone else's biography of them, and this show hands the microphone back. Sixty of them across a century, sorted by how they chose to appear rather than by how they were discovered, with Darger's scrapbooks and a Traylor in the same rooms. It is free, it is a short walk from Lincoln Center, and after Sunday it is gone.
What to expect
A compact museum you can do properly in an hour, hung in three sections on self-portraits, alter egos and autobiographies. Expect drawing, painting and works on paper at intimate scale, with wall text built around the artists' own words. Free admission means no ticket queue, and the second exhibition closing the same day is in the adjoining galleries.
Good to know
- Admission is always free, so there is no ticket to book in advance
- The museum is closed at the start of the week, which narrows your window to catch it
- It is a single-floor museum, walkable in about an hour, so it pairs well with anything at Lincoln Center
- The nearest subway is the Sixty-Sixth Street stop for Lincoln Center, right outside the door
- A second closing exhibition is on view in the same building, so plan for both in one visit
Planning Sep 11–13, 2026 in NYC?
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Common questions
How much is admission?
Nothing. The American Folk Art Museum is free every day it is open.
When does the show close?
Sunday, September thirteenth is the final day. There is no announced return.
Who is in it?
Sixty self-taught artists including Henry Darger, Bill Traylor, Morris Hirshfield, John Kane, Aloise Corbaz, Clementine Hunter, Lee Godie, Horace Pippin and Thornton Dial Sr.
