Episode 41 | Inside the Folk Art Underground: Mike Smith on Folk Art Legends and Lost Stories
Matt and Mike Smith sit down inside the Griffith Fine Art Museum at Red Oak Brewery to talk about the wild early days of Southern folk art and the collectors who helped define it. What begins as a casual visit quickly turns into a deep dive into Mike’s decades-long journey from salesman to documentarian, capturing the rise of self-taught art across the Southeast.
Mike shares how he met artists like Benny Carter, James Harold Jennings, and Howard Finster, and what it was like to ride with Carter through the backroads of North Carolina with a revolver on the dash and a cooler full of copperheads in the back. He recalls photographing artists in their homes, quitting his day job after a single conversation with Finster, and how those early trips shaped the entire field of outsider art.
Matt and Mike talk about the collectors who kept the movement alive and the growing problem of fake pieces appearing in auctions. They compare real works to counterfeits, share tips on spotting authenticity, and reflect on how folk art has changed as the next generation starts to collect.
Sully joins at the end to ask a few behind-the-scenes questions about Mike’s photography and how he built trust with artists before taking a single shot.
CHAPTERS
00:00 | Welcome to the Griffith Fine Art Museum at Red Oak
05:26 | Giving Mike His Flowers 09:09 | Benny and Mike Take New York
15:07 | Meeting James Harold Jennings 20:19 | Fearrington Folk Art Show Preview
25:49 | The Discovery of Tom Fiddler 30:20 | Why Folk Artists Create
35:40 | So Bad It’s Good
40:41 | The Fake Art Problem
50:45 | Spotting Benny Carter Fakes
55:01 | Time for a Red Oak
59:50 | The Best Time to Buy Art
1:04:46 | Sully’s Closing Questions
As the conversation winds down, Matt and Mike look back on the people who made this community what it is today. The stories of Benny Carter, Mose Tolliver, and Howard Finster remind them that folk art has always been about more than sales or recognition. It’s about the spark that makes someone pick up a brush, carve a block of wood, or turn everyday life into something worth remembering.
The next great folk artist is probably out there right now, carving, painting, or welding in quiet determination, waiting for someone like Mike Smith to stop by with a camera and a story to tell.
Follow @houseoffolkart for more behind-the-scenes stories and upcoming auction dates at LedbetterAuctions.com.