Folk art of the United States

Folk art in the United States refers to the many regional types of tangible folk art created by people in the United States of America. Generally developing in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when settlers revived artistic traditions from their home countries in a uniquely American way, folk art includes artworks created by and for a large majority of people. It is defined by artistic expressions in a practical medium that has a specific purpose or continues a certain tradition important to a community of people. It includes hand crafted items such as tools, furniture and carvings, and traditional mediums such as oil paintings and tapestries which often served dual purposes, such as for the protection of a surface.