Current Awareness

Curator Bortles,  

Thank you for contacting the Museum of Modern Art for the research on Outsider Art for your exhibition. It is one fascinating topic. Here is the ten essential current awareness websites for you to be able to look into. 

1. Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
Intuit is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1991. Their location is in Chicago, Illinois. Their mission is to present Outsider Art with "world class exhibitions; resources for scholars and students; a Permanent Collection with holdings of nearly 1,100 works of art; the Henry Darger Room Collection, a permanent installation; the Robert A. Roth Study Center, a non-circulating collection with a primary focus in the fields of outsider and contemporary self-taught art; and educational programming for people of all interest levels and backgrounds." The artists who is involved with the organization are dedicated to do the art their way without the mainstream influences. 

2. Detour Art
It was established by Kelly Ludwig and her passion to make sure people who are interested in Outsider Art as well as folk, visionary, self-taught, vernacular art, and environment art. She wants to have this website to be accessible and updatable database. This website provides you to links to artists, locations such as in the west, south, north, midwest, and northeast. They also provides you links to resources such as museums, galleries, links, and books. 

3. Outsider Art Fair
This is an interesting website. It is a fair that are dedicated to just Outsider Art by artists from all over the world. People who are interested in Outsider Art can attend. The 2015 Fair was in Paris, France and the 2016 Fair will be at New York City from January 21-24. They also have a tumblr, you can access here.

4. Raw Vision Magazine
Raw Vision Magazine was established in 1989, intending to provide information on Outsider Art to the public. They are the only international magazine focused solely on Outsider Art. The recent issue is out now, it's #87. You can either buy the physical copy for $14.00 USA, or in a PDF file for $8 USA. They also have a twitter account that are updated regularly. 

5. American Visionary Art Museum
It is a museum in Baltimore, Maryland. It was established in 1995 by Rebecca Alban Hoffberger. She wanted the museum to educate the public on the Visionary Art. They do not have any staff curator, but they rather to use guest curators to set up exhibitions. They pride themselves for not being a "normal" museum but rather be unique. 

6. SPACES — Saving and Preserving Arts and Cultural Environments
SPACES "is a nonprofit public benefit organization created with an international focus on the study, documentation, and preservation of art environments and self-taught artistic activity." It focuses on international resources to state arts and humanities councils, museums, universities, public radio and television stations, state historic preservation offices, and grass roots organizations. I thought it'd be more interesting for you to look around for more information on art, especially Outsider Art. 

7. Folk Art Society of America
Since 1987, they have been working on advocate for the documentation, preservation and exhibition for the Folk Art, and the Folk Artists. They releases issues three times a year with no advertising. They focuses on self-taught artists, exhibition and book reviews, news, an international events, and much more.

8. Boston Hassle
Boston Hassle is a blog that also function as a guide for Boston underground music, art, and film. It is a good way of checking things out if you are in Boston, or coming to Boston. 

9. Creative Growth
Creative Growth provides Adults that has developmental, mental and physical disabilities a way of expressing their creativity. They also provides exhibitions as well as socialization among their peers. They are in Oakland, California. They have an upcoming exhibition, from December 4th to January 16th. It is called The Great Escape. 

10. Orange Show Foundation
Their vision: "Encouraging creative self-expression." The Foundation is at Houston, Texas. In 1980, Marilyn Oshman, wanted to established the Foundation in order to preserve the Orange Show Monument, that was deteriorating. So she kept in contact with 21 people such as, Dominique de Menil, Nina Cullen, members of ZZ Top and more to set up the Foundation. The foundation aims to be accessible to the public.

Please do let me know if you have any more questions. 

Thank you,
Nicole Tribbey
Art Librarian, Museum of Modern Art