Folklore is the most complete tribute to the human condition. A delight that traverses all cultures, borders, and continents, it is a democratic art which reflects universal themes in a diversity of forms, functions, textures, and colors that go beyond a frame. Folklore binds us to tradition and community; it is the study of human creativity in its own context; it is not static, but as dynamic as the human minds that create it. The greatest thing that folklore teaches us is our common humanity. WE ARE ALL FOLK.

CAFAM strives to establish a forum in which art can be presented and described by those who create it—artists and communities. As advocates of cultural democracy, we believe that art and culture are not the sole domain of centralized institutions, but the testing ground of fertile imaginations. The presentation of craft and folk art lends itself to cultural democracy, for it originates at the root of communities and reflects innate creativity.

As a non-collecting institution, our galleries offer a dynamic mix of eclectic exhibitions that bestow a fresh, contemporary view of folk art and craft and lead patrons on a path of discovery. Our programs demonstrate that by exploring art, universal truths are revealed and our community strengthened.