Outsider Art Fair, the only fair dedicated to self-taught art, art brut, and outsider art, has announced plans for its 31st edition, which will take place March 2-5, 2023 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan, and will feature 64 exhibitors from 28 cities in eight countries, including twelve first-time exhibitors.
Returning dealers who have been with OAF since its inception include Aarne Anton / Nexus Singularity (New York), Cavin-Morris Gallery (New York), Fleisher/Ollman Gallery (Philadelphia), Carl Hammer Gallery (Chicago), Marion Harris (New York), and Ricco/Maresca Gallery (New York). Visitors can once again count on seeing works by the most acclaimed artists in the field, like Morton Bartlett, James Castle, Henry Darger, Thornton Dial, William Edmondson, Minnie Evans, Guo Fengyi, Bill Traylor, Martín Ramírez, Nellie Mae Rowe, Judith Scott, George Widener, and Joseph Yoakum.
The fair has collaborated with Grammy Award-winning music supervisor Randall Poster, co-founder of the Birdsong Project, a cooperation with some of the world’s most respected musicians, artists, writers, and performers to benefit the National Audubon Society, for this year’s OAF Curated Space. Poster and fair owner Andrew Edlin, who have been friends since childhood, will co-curate an exhibition, We Are Birds, featuring dozens of works inspired by birdlife made by self-taught and contemporary artists, including, Greg Burak, Minnie Evans, Tony Fitzpatrick, William Hawkins, Chris Johanson, Pam Lins, Eleanor Ray, Fred Tomaselli, and Bill Traylor. The project recently released For The Birds, a 20-LP box set containing over 200 tracks of original music and poetry by artists including Yoko Ono and Anohni, Elvis Costello, Laurie Anderson, Yo-Yo Ma, Beck, and Kamasi Washington, with avian-themed verse written by poets and read by actors and artists including Tilda Swinton and Robert Pattinson.
Another highlight of this year’s show will be a special display of visionary American artist Paul Laffoley’s The Life and Death of Elvis Presley: A Suite. The series of eight complicated paintings, completed in 1995, reflects the artist’s portrayal of Elvis Presley’s various stages of life.
Two panel discussions will take place during OAF Talks, one on Minnie Evans conducted by MoMA curator Esther Adler and the other on Paul Laffoley hosted by Douglas Walla, CEO of Marlborough Gallery in New York. More information will be released later.
Exhibitors: Aarne Anton / Nexus Singularity (New York), Bill Arning Exhibitions (Houston), Art Sales & Research (New York), ArTech Collective (New York), Arts of Life/Circle Contemporary (Chicago), James Barron (Kent, Connecticut), bG (Santa Monica), Norman Brosterman (New York), Cavin-Morris Gallery (New York), Creative Growth Art Center (Oakland), Creativity Explored (San Francisco), Sarah Crown (New York), Daniel/Oliver (Brooklyn), Alexander Dijulio (New York), Dutton (New York), Andrew Edlin Gallery (New York), Donald Ellis (New York), Feheley Fine Arts (Toronto), Fleisher/Ollman Gallery (Philadelphia), Forest Grove Preserve, Inc. (Sandersville, Georgia), Fountain House Gallery (New York), Emilia Galatis Projects (South Fremantle, Australia), Carl Hammer (Chicago), Marion Harris (New York), Hill Gallery (Birmingham, Michigan), Hirschl & Adler (New York), Kishka Gallery (Vermont), koelsch gallery (Houston), Yukiko Koide Presents (Tokyo), Kopac Committee /ArtRencontre (Paris), Kunstraum (Nuremberg), LAND Gallery (New York), Jennifer Lauren Gallery (Manchester, UK), Pol Lemétais (Saint Sever du Moustier, France), Lindsay Gallery (Columbus, Ohio), Joshua Lowenfels (New York), Magic Markings (New York), Mason Fine Arts (Atlanta), New Discretions (New York), North Pole Studio/ Booklyn (Portland, Oregon), The Pardee Collection (Iowa City), Portrait Society Gallery of Contemporary Art (Milwaukee), Steven S. Powers (New York), Project Onward (Chicago), Pure Vision Arts (New York), Ricco/Maresca (New York), SAGE Studio (Austin), Shelter (New York), SHRINE (New York), The Silo (Milanville, Pennsylvania), Stellarhighway (New York), Stewart Gallery (Boise), The Valley (Taos), Valley House (Dallas), Winter Works on Paper (New York), ZQ (New York), Zürcher Gallery (New York), Center for Creative Works, Wynnewood, Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, London.
The Metropolitan Pavilion
125 W 18th Street
New York, New York 10011
United States