Outsider Art Resources

To: Dr. Marc O’Polo

From: Jillian Silverberg, Reference Librarian

Subject: Art Resources

Dear Professor O’Polo,

Thank you for contacting the University’s library for resources regarding the subject of outsider art. In your email you state that you are in the the last stages of research for an upcoming Art History course that will focus specifically on outsider art. Before I get to the resources that I have gathered for you, I just would like to mention that the library’s reference department has expressed interest in wanting to work with you to establish a research guide for the course if you so wish to have one. At this time, the reference librarians have already designed research guides for other courses offered through the Art and Art History departments and they would love to expand the reference department’s ability to better assist the University’s students with their research through the provision of related resources.

As for the sources that you requested, I did my best to gather an assortment website, blogs, and scholarly journals that at should be useful for your research needs. Both of the websites and blogs are regularly updated by their site curators and features information about outsider art artists, specific works of art, new locations that celebrate outsider art and self-taught artists, and news regarding the going-ons within the world of outsider art. While the bulk of these sources focus on outsider art, I have included two sources that focus on the subject of folk art, a component of outsider art, that you might find useful for your research. All sources feature a brief descriptive blurb and a link to their corresponding location.

1. KD Outsider Art→ Serves as a resource on all facets related to outsider art. Features a blog, information about artists, contact information for the site curator, information about related projects, and links for museums, organizations, other blogs, galleries, publications, and collections. The website itself is focused towards highlighting outside artists, their work, and exhibition reviews as well as encouraging discussions regarding outsider art and its related themes.
2. Carl Hammer Gallery→ Gallery website for the Carl Hammer Gallery. Website features an expansive list of outsider artists. Users can select an artist and be brought to a webpage that features examples of their art and a biography. Excellent for those in search of examples of outsider art and their associated artists.
3. Art from the Margins→ An outsider art and self-taught art blog that contains reviews of current exhibits, new museums and galleries, images, and general observations from the site’s curator. Currently she is the active manager of Outside In, an organization that provides opportunities for artists who are excluded from the art world.
4. Outsider Art Fair → The personal website for the Outsider Art Fair, an artistic celebration of outsider art and its artists. The website features an informative discussion regarding the origins of the art movement known as outsider art. It also features embedded films of panel discussions from previous Outsider Art Fairs. All of the posted video content includes English subtitles and is free to view.
5. Guide to Outsider Art Online→ Provides thorough descriptions of fourteen different digital Outsider Art resources. These descriptions provide a basic overview of their respective website and offer suggestions in regards to which parts of the website might be of interest to a user.
6. Raw Vision → Raw Vision, a magazine dedicated to the exploration of Outsider Art. First established in 1989, the magazine has since continued their mission to showcase artists and artistic environments that that might otherwise go unnoticed. The magazine’s website includes videos and articles that cover a wide range of topics within the subject of Outsider Art. The website also features links to galleries and museums that specialize in Outsider Art. Note: while the video content is free to view, all of the articles must be purchased. Excerpts can be viewed.
7. Elsewhere: The International Journal of Self-Taught and Outsider Art → Only has had two issues published thus far (2013 and 2014) but both are available for free download from the linked website. The two journal issues feature a trans-disciplinary approach towards understanding Outsider Art through the utilization of essays from representatives from various organizations associated with Outsider Art: Art Brut, Self-Taught Art,Contemporary Folk Art, Fresh Invention, Art Singulier, and Visionary Art.
8. Folk Art Museum → A different component of Outsider Art. The American Folk Art Museum’s website features digital collections; information about artists, upcoming events; useful information for researchers, visitors, and students & educators; and resources such as digitized copies of their journal, Folk Art, and online access to their museum library and archive.
9. INTUIT: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art → A non-profit organization dedicated to the presentation of Outsider Art. The website contains webpages for their exhibitions, information about recent acquisitions, and resources for  educators.
10. “What Does Outsider Art Mean” → The article was published in conjunction with the 23rd edition of the Outsider Art Fair, which was held at the end of January and the start of February 2015 and discusses current general public understanding of outsider art and what it means within the art world.

Please feel free to contact me again if you have any additional questions regarding your research endeavours into the subject of outsider art. If you would like to meet in person to further discuss these sources, please do not hesitate to contact my department within the library.

Best,

Jillian Silverberg