| Wild Things: Kate Manko’s Collection Of American Folk Art Animals | | Print | |
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Wild Things: Kate Manko’s Collection Of American Folk Art Animals By W.A. Demers - on view at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, Maine For somebody who says she fears snakes, Kate Manko has an inordinate number of them in her collection. The serpents are whimsical  rather than literal — brightly and fancifully painted twisty roots and limbs, articulated and pigmented segments of wood or artfully joined bottle caps — part of Manko’s animal folk art collection currently on view at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, Maine. The bears, moose, squirrels, fish, birds, snakes and more — nearly 100 objects of animal folk art — all represent rather commonplace critters that regularly skitter, slither or otherwise motivate across the northern New England landscape. What sets them apart for the 26-year-old dealer and collector of American folk art from Moody, Maine, is that whether intricately fashioned from wood, antler, leather or even bottle caps, each distills an artistry that is at once accessible and instantly recognizable. Simple in form, each object projects its maker’s strong sense of design, imagination and technique. The exhibition “Wild Things: Selections from Kate Manko’s Collection of American Folk Art Animals” continues through December 29 Bottle cap snake, early Twentieth Century, found in a private collection in Maine; wood, metal, pigment, 13½ by 12½ by 11 inches. Manko was drawn to the bottle cap snake as a teenager for its "fashion” and use of modern materials. Even though not a fan of snakes, Manko nonetheless admits that this is one of her favorite pieces. Kennebunk, Maine:For somebody who says she fears snakes, Kate Manko has an inordinate number of them in her collection. The serpents are whimsical rather than literal — brightly and fancifully painted twisty roots and limbs, articulated and pigmented segments of wood or artfully joined bottle caps — part of Manko's animal folk art collection currently on view at the Brick  Store Museum. The exhibition "Wild Things: Selections from Kate Manko's Collection of American Folk Art Animals" continues through December 29. Manko, just 26 years old, is already a seasoned dealer and collector, having begun at age 4 with her first acquisition, a treasured woodcock, circa 1900–1920s, crafted in the style of Elmer Crowell, the East Harwich, Mass., carver. She spied the finely painted game bird at a flea market in Kennebunk, Maine, while accompanying her father, and she asked him to get it for her because it reminded her of the marshland birds she saw in her yard. Such is the case with the bulk of Manko's homespun menagerie showcased at the museum. The bears, moose, squirrels, fish, birds, snakes and more — nearly 100 objects of animal folk art — all represent rather commonplace critters that regularly skitter, slither or otherwise motivate across the northern New England landscape. What sets them apart for the young dealer and collector of American folk art from Moody, Maine, is that whether intricately fashioned from wood, antler, leather or even bottle caps, each distills an artistry that is at once accessible and instantly recognizable. Simple in form, each object projects its maker's strong sense of design, imagination and technique. Ice fishing decoy, circa mid-1980s, Maine, wood pigment and metal, 1 by 3 by 1½ inches. This primitive ice fishing decoy was given to Kate Manko at a "swap meet” by the man who created it as an encouragement for the youngster to continue her collection. This simple gesture meant a lot to her, and as a result, this tiny fish remains one of her favorite pieces to this day. The highly inventive and playful natures of the pieces reflect their makers' desire to capture their individual characteristics and are crafted from a variety of materials. Many are based in wood but infused with imaginative details fashioned out of metal, seashells, beads and leather. Even more unique are ones made entirely out of deer antlers, canvas, pieces of discarded oil drums and even bottle caps. While a number of the objects were created for home and outdoor  decoration, others are purely functional like rooftop weathervanes or decoys and lures to aid hunters and fisherman. Most of the works have come from Maine and date from the late Nineteenth to late Twentieth Centuries. "I didn't start with a specific goal of collecting wildlife pieces. However, I realized the majority of the works I like and showed interest in belonged to the same category," Manko says in an audio narrative that accompanies an online introduction for her one-of-a-kind collection. A black bear crossing a log, for example, is characteristic of the many Maine folk art animals that were crafted in the early Twentieth Century. Initialed V.F.V., the 15-inch-long painted wood carving has been included in publications on American folk art animals. Woodcock, circa 1900–1920s, carved in the style of Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, Mass.; wood and pigment, 7½ by 7½ by 5 inches. This highly stylized, finely painted game bird was the piece that started Kate Manko's collection. She spied it at a flea market in Kennebunk, Maine, at about age 4. It reminded her of the woodland birds she saw in her yard. A direct connection that was established when she spotted a snowy owl in her back yard prompted Manko to acquire a lovably carved representation of the bird, this one featuring quizzical inset glass eyes, a mid-Twentieth Century figure found in a camp in central Maine. Another early Twentieth Century piece found in Maine, but this one carved from deer antler and measuring 10½ inches long, is a frog decoy, iconic in its primitive form yet visually underscoring why frogs are such a plentiful and popular folk art form — in real life, their physical anatomy prevents them from moving anywhere but forward. A bottle cap snake from the early Twentieth Century — a clear crowd pleaser at the exhibition's opening, according to Manko — was made in the early Twentieth Century and found in a private collection in Maine. "That's one of my favorite pieces, too," says Manko, who recalls being drawn to it as a teenager. "That would probably be around junior high when I found that piece, around the time you start worrying about 'fashion,' like bottle cap belts, and I think that was the outside influence for me in purchasing it." One of Manko's most cherished artifacts, however, is a relatively modern (mid-1980s) Maine ice fishing decoy, a diminutive and primitive fish with red polka dots and red face. Given to Kate by its creator, another dealer at a "swap meet," the no-strings-attached gift snagged her heart as surely as if it had been fitted with a hook. "As an encouragement to continue collecting and just as a simple act of kindness, it really meant a lot to me and the fish remains one of my favorite items," says Manko. Also high on the list is Manko's grouping of folk art snakes fashioned out of limbs, roots and other materials. "I'm afraid of snakes and lightning," says Manko, laughing, "but I think in folk art snakes are one of the cooler animals because it's just so interesting how they're made. What I really loved is, when we had the opening, we had a lot of young kids come as well, and it really impressed me how they were so amazed by the snakes. It's because they realized could find pieces of trees, roots, and so on and probably make their own snakes." A fear of snakes did not stop 11-year-old Kate from wrangling several folky renditions into her collection. The folk art forms are a natural "kid magnet,” she said, because youngsters can easily visualize how a twisty root or limb can become a colorful critter with a little paint and imagination. Courtesy Kate Manko. Manko's own childhood, she admits, was very different from that of the average Maine kid. Her parents, Ken and Ida Manko, are folk art dealers with 30 years in the business. Their home is not only a showcase for the colorful weathervanes, old signs and painted furniture that they have amassed over the years, but an emporium as well. And Kate is just as firmly immersed in the business end of collecting. A 2004 graduate of Syracuse University — her major was communications and rhetorical studies —she, like her parents, is a licensed appraiser of American folk art. "Other kids went to the circus and I went to flea markets. Other kids went to the arcade and I went to auctions," says Manko. "By the age of 8, I could date a piece of folk art, tell real from fake paint and could probably tell you what part of the country most pieces of Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century American art originated." Thus, every family outing or house call that her parents made became an opportunity to add to her collection. Guided by a traveling star of "I'll Know It When I See It," Manko used tooth fairy money, birthday money and loose change found within the seat cushions to fund her purchases, her collection evolving as she matured. Squirrel, circa 1980s, found in a Maine camp; wood with finish, 5½ by 3½ by 1½ inches. "On rare occasions, I made the decision to sell certain works in order to buy others and have explored all sorts of different art forms," she said, "all the while I have never lost interest in the true folk art quality that characterizes each object within the collection." Most recently she has been collecting outsider art as well as art related to yet another love — rock and roll. Manko said she even contemplated trying to get into the music industry after graduating from college, but believed the barrier to entry for someone not having the personal contacts was too high, so she reconnected with the family business. Like "Wild Things," another similarly inspired exhibition, "Walk on the Wild Side" at the Syracuse University Lowe Art Gallery in the fall of 2002, was the first exhibit of a student's private collection in the school's history. "As a collector, the process of looking for and finding the object is as fulfilling as the actual ownership of the piece," says Manko. "This collection has been a voyage of self-discovery, and there is a special place and meaning to each piece. By sharing 'Wild Things,' I hope to inspire others to begin collections of their own." Kate Manko today at 26. Her current exhibition, "Wild Things,” is on view at the Brick Store Museum through December 29. It is her third such folk art exhibition. Courtesy Kate Manko. That sentiment is echoed by Tracy Baetz, executive director of the Brick Store Museum, who says, "We need the next generation of collectors, and as a museum we encourage anything that promotes this." Baetz says that adults can appreciate the exhibition on one level, recognizing the artistry, and the whimsical wildlife is a sure-fire hit for youngsters. "I hope it provides many children with their first introduction to museums and inspires them to begin collections of their own," she says. The Brick Store Museum is at 117 Main Street. For information, www.brickstoremuseum.org or 207-985-4802. |
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