Re: Research on outsider art for new exhibition

Dear Dr. Cats,

Thank your for contacting the library for more information about outsider art. As you begin your research process for the museum’s upcoming exhibition on outsider art, I would like to offer you several resources that will keep you up to date with the outsider art world. All of these resources are updated regularly, so I would suggest that you look at these blogs, magazines, and websites at least once a month.

There are other resources representing the outsider art world of which you should be aware, including the Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne website, the American Folk Art Museum’s Folk Art magazine, and the American Visionary Art Museum website. While these resources represent important institutions in the outsider art world, they are either not updated frequently or contain information specific to the institution. You can review those three resources as needed, while I would suggest looking at the following resources more frequently.

 

1. Raw Vision: Raw Vision is an international quarterly journal on outsider art. The journal explores international artists, as well as the environments and studios in which outsider artists create. Excerpts from each issue can be read online. The website also has a “News” section with information about upcoming exhibitions.
2. KD Outsider Art: British blogger Kate Davey received an MA in Art History and Museum Curating, and now works at several institutions dealing with outsider art including Outside In and the National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice. Her blog discusses theoretical and practical issues concerning outsider art. The blog also has a section with information about artists. You can sign up for e-mail notifications about new blog posts.
3. Outside In blog: Outside In is a British platform for outsider artists to display their artwork. The Outside In blog discusses the outsider art world as well as news about the Outside In organization. The blog also presents an artist of the month, which is a helpful feature for learning about current artists in the field.
4. The Folk Art Messenger: This journal is published three times a year by the Folk Art Society of America. The journal contains information about self-taught artists, international events in the outsider art world, and other relevant news.
5. Outsider Art Fair Tumblr: The Outsider Art Fair is an annual fair with artwork and speakers, and exhibitors such as galleries that represent outsider artists. The Outsider Art Fair Tumblr provides information about events in the outsider art world, including the fair itself, and highlights the work of individual artists.
6. art from the margins: A blog written by Jennifer Gilbert, manager of Outside In at the Pallant House Gallery. Her blog posts are about exhibitions of outsider art, and the blog features images of outsider art.
7. Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: This institution aims to preserve cultural knowledge and artistry from cultures around the world. While the center does not specifically curate visual art by outsider artists, the website frequently has information about visual artists working outside of the mainstream art world. There are several resources produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and you may like to start by following the center’s Online Exhibitions and its blog.
8. Christie’s department of American Folk Art and Outsider Art: This web page has information about American folk art and outsider art sold by Christie’s, including future auction dates and the values of pieces that have been sold.
9. Carl Hammer Gallery Website: The gallery represents historically important outsider artists such as Henry Darger. The gallery participates in outsider art world events such as the Outsider Art Fair. The site has information about the gallery’s recent acquisitions and exhibitions.
10. Ricco Maresca Gallery Website: The gallery represents folk and vernacular artists, including Bill Traylor and Henry Darger. The website contains information about upcoming exhibitions, and the gallery blog has information about self-taught artists. The gallery also has a magazine, Fluence, with information on outsider art and artists.
     

Please contact me again if you have more questions as you continue your research. I would also be happy to schedule a research consultation with you, where we could have a more in depth discussion about your research process and available resources.

Best,

Eliana Fenyes