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The last folk hero book signing and conversation
Saturday, May 13, 2006

Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art will host author Andrew Dietz on Saturday May 13 th at 5:00 pm at Intuit, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Last Folk Hero is a true story about ego and obsession, loyalty and betrayal, race and exploitation within the realm of African-American vernacular art from the South. The story ties together U.S. presidents and congressmen, business tycoons, movie stars, academics, and the cultural elite with some of the most dirt-poor, talent-rich souls from the Deep South.

The Last Folk Hero profiles the life and art of Thornton Dial, Lonnie Holley, and the Quilters of Gee’s Bend, andtheir involvement with collector, writer, and promoter Bill Arnett, co-author of Souls Grown Deep. “Black vernacular art,” says Bill Arnett, “is the most important cultural phenomenon of our time. This is like the Italian Renaissance in its scope, breadth, and depth. It’s just that the people are the wrong color.”

A provocative exploration on topics rarely discussed substantively in the mainstream art collecting world, The Last Folk Hero has been hailed as “the ‘perfect storm’ of art world literature – compelling artists, against-all-odds careers, and a gifted writer who gets it.” Copies of the book are available for purchase at the Intuit Store.. Visit www.thelastfolkhero.com for more information.