Last Thursday, The Outsider Art Fair celebrated it’s 25th Anniversary at the Metropolitan Pavilion, New York.
The event spans from January 19th – 22th and is dedicated to representing the works of both established and up and coming artists from around the world. “Art collectors, professionals and art lovers can’t get enough of outsider, art brut and folk art. It’s a great fair with the highest quality and we expect strong attendance all weekend”, said fair Director Becca Hoffman.
One of the participating galleries, James Barron Art based out of Kent, Connecticut sold four works by Janet Sobel within the first half hour, a Ukrainian-American artist related to the so-called “drip paintings” of Jackson Pollock as well as groups of American neo-expressionist artist, Norris Embry works on paper. “The energy of the fair is fabulous; we’re meeting new collectors, as well as welcoming old friends. This is our first time exhibiting at the Outsider Art Fair, and it will definitely become a yearly tradition,” states gallery owner James Barron.
Edward M. Gomez’s curated space, The Outsider Art Fair: 25 Years, highlighted this year’s opening. A celebration which honored the fair’s history, the space presented one work of art that represented each year of the fair in a retrospective survey. Much of the works on display were from artists who made his or her debut at the fair in its designated year.
Also on display was The Quilts of Gee’s Bend, a curated space which presented the work of a rural Alabama community of African Americans mostly descendants of slaves, who for generations have produced hundreds of quilt masterpieces of recycled work clothes. Made from the women of the community, these works both composed bold geometries that are a visual testament to the community quilting groups and are the aesthetic lineages of local families.
Wide Open Arts the owner of the fair acknowledged that the this year it opened during the Presidential Inauguration “As always, the Outsider Art Fair will embody the vigorous spirit and commitment that has made it a standout since 1993. The New York fair anticipates tremendous enthusiasm from its core audience as well as the growing number of contemporary art lovers who have continued to see self-taught art at more major museums and international exhibitions than ever,” notes Wide Open Arts CEO, Andrew Edlin.
Folk Art Museum, Museum of Sex, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Lille Métropole Musée d’art moderne, d’art contemporain et d’art brut (LAM), God’s Love We Deliver, Artbase, Artsper, Compass Box Wiskey Co. and Bombay Sapphire served as the partners for the event.
Photo Credit: Griffin Lipson/BFA