A new exhibit spotlighting the work of folk artist John Kane has opened at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. We’ll rediscover the artist whose paintings celebrate Pittsburgh with Judith Hansen O’Toole, director and CEO of the museum and Jane Kallir, co-director of Galerie St. Etienne in New York City.
According to Hansen, Kane's rediscovery can be attributed to a sea change in the greater museum environment.
"Museums now are much more willing to put on the walls works by artists who are lesser known and who the public might not recognize as 'great,'" she says.
Kallir believes Kane's work has endured due to his unique perspective, saying he painted from the point of view of the working class.
"[His work] proves that you don't have to go to art school to be a great artist," says Kallir. "It can be freer and truer and more spontaneous."
