The museum established the Contemporary Center in 1997 with the conviction that the paintings, sculpture, and built environments of self-taught artists meet the appreciation, study, and exhibition accorded to works of art in the cultural mainstream. Self-taught artists, with special reference to those highly gifted individuals who are identified with the field of art brut or “outsider” art, have created a powerful and moving but frequently unacknowledged body of work that is essential to a full understanding of the art and culture of the world. The Contemporary Center regularly presents lectures, symposia, and special events, including the annual Outsider Art Weekend programming. More than 250 contemporary works in the museum’s collection can be viewed in the Image Gallery.

The study of self-taught artists and their work has become a mature, recognized field in art history. Understanding that it has been cultivated by a community of artists, collectors, dealers, galleries, museums, and scholars for many decades, the museum’s Contemporary Center celebrates outstanding achievements from these constituencies with its Visionary Award, presented each year during the Outsider Art Fair.

2010: The Outsider Art Fair and Sanford L. Smith. 2009: Raw Vision magazine and John Maizels. 2008: Phyllis Kind.

Uncommon Artists: A Series of Cameo Talks—The Anne Hill Blanchard Symposium is held each winter during the Outsider Art Fair. Organized by Lee Kogan.

2010: Esther Adler on self-taught artists and the Museum of Modern Art • Shari Cavin on Timothy Wehrle • Jarrett Gregory on Dorothy Iannone • Scott Ogden on George Widener. 2009: Susan Mitchell Crawley on Jimmy Lee Sudduth • Edward M. Puchner on Henry Speller • Mike Noland and Jeff Way on Ernest “Popeye” Reed • Gary Snyder on Janet Sobel. 2008: Andy P. Antippas on Herbert Singleton • Peter Hastings Falk on Ed Nelson • Thomas Röske on the history of the Prinzhorn-Collection • Leslie Umberger on Albert Zahn. 2007: Víctor M. Espinosa on Mártin Ramírez • Nina Katschnig on current residents of Art/Brut Center, Gugging, Austria • John Ollman on Felipe Jesús Consalvos • Adrian Swain on Charley, Noah, and Hazel Kinney. 2006: Phyllis Kind on Carlo Zinelli • Regenia Perry on Roy Ferdinand • Cheryl Rivers on Donald Mitchell • Stuart E. Shepherd on Martin Thompson. 2005: Edward M. Gomez on Domenico Zindato • Susan C. Larsen on Louis Monza • Jane Livingston on Thornton Dial Sr. • John Turner on collage and photography-based artworks. 2004: Roger Cardinal on Christine Sefolosha • William Fagaly on Sister Gertrude Morgan • Dr. Pam Rogers and Margaret Bodell on autistic spectrum artists • Pam Sachant on Eddie Arning. 2003: Carol Crown on charting religious texts • Beate Echols on Arthur Bispo do Rosario • Bernard Goodman on himself • Colin Rhodes, on Wilhelm van Genk. 2002: Annie Carlano on Anna Zemankova • Jane Kallir on Emanuel Navratil and Josef Karl Radler • Mark Pascale on Joseph Yoakum • Tom Patterson on Curtiss Cuffie and Anthony Domingues. 2001: Tracy Baker-White on Charles A.A. Dellschau • Michael Bonesteel on Henry Darger • Jenifer P. Borum on Bessie Harvey • Renée Stout on herself.

2010: “Transsexual and White Slave Fantasies: Henry Darger’s Intertextualization”—Jaimy Mann, 2009 Henry Darger Study Center Fellow, and “The Art Student: Henry Darger and A Step-Ladder to Painting”—Kevin Miller, 2009 Henry Darger Study Center Fellow. 2009: “Missing Girls in the Art of Henry Darger”—Mary Trent, 2008 Henry Darger Study Center Fellow. 2008: Artist’s Talk—Grayson Perry. 2007: “Purvis of Overtown”—film screening introduced by Bill Arnett. 2006: “The Kingdom of the Gods and Goddesses: Nek Chand”—Cheryl Rivers. 2005: “In the Realms of the Unreal: The Mystery of Henry Darger”—film screening and discussion with the filmmaker, Jessica Yu. 2004: “The World of Sister Gertrude Morgan”—William A. Fagaly. 2003: “Mutual Obsessions: Three Cartoonists Look at Darger”—Gary Panter, Art Spiegelman, and Chris Ware, with Dan Nadel. 2002: “The Aronberg Mystery: Murder in the Realms of the Unreal”—John M. MacGregor. 2001: “Aspects of Henry Darger”—Mac Wellman, Monroe A. Denton, and John S. Gordon. 2000: “The Architecture of Madness”—John M. MacGregor.

Brooke Davis Anderson, director and curator of the Contemporary Center
212. 265. 1040, ext. 104
banderson@folkartmuseum.org