MUSEUM
NEWS
OUTSIDER ART FAIR BENEFIT PREVIEW or the 12th consecutive year, the Outsider Art Fair, at the Puck Building in Manhattan, was the place to be to see exciting outsider and visionary art. The American Folk Art Museum kicked things offon Thursday,Jan. 22, with its annual opening night benefit preview. The Outsider Art Fair is a threeday event,organized by Sanford L.Smith and Associates, that showcases contemporary selftaught artists' work.The wares of 33 galleries—from Canada,England,France, Germany,Haiti, Holland,and throughout the United States—attracted thousands ofvisitors. The benefit preview came together beautifully through the efforts of Katie Hush,the museum's special events manager, with the help ofbenefit chairs Ling and Thomas Isenberg, Laura and Richard Parsons, Angela and Selig Sacks,and Alexis Shein and George Contos. The contributing vice chairs were Gayle Perkins Atkins and Charles N.Atkins, Didi and David Barrett, Edward V. Blanchard Jr., Betsey and Sam Farber, Audrey B. Heckler,and Kate Stettner and Carl Lobel Benefit guests milled around the show while enjoying scrumptious hors d'oeuvres provided by The Catering Company.The music ofMecca Bodega,with Paul Mueller on dulcimer and Marc Mueller playing found objects; the Ebony Hillbillies; and Sean Grissom's Cajun cello were the perfect accompaniment to the evening's lively and eclectic atmosphere. The entire show offered inspiring things to see for both the veteran collector and newcomers to the field. Works by
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self-taught artists ofrenown were on view,such as a large drawing by Martin Ramirez at the Phyllis Kind Gallery booth and a rare silk-screened catalog of Bill Traylor's 1940 one-man show at the New South Art Center in Montgomery,Ala., which was on display at the Judy A.Saslow Gallery booth. Unusual discoveries included cartoon sketchbooks by Frank Johnson at the Carl Hammer Gallery booth and a kinetic coconut sculpture by Edward Nagrodski at the American Primitive Gallery booth. The museum's educational programs and benefit events associated with the fair truly made it feel like a convention ofsorts. "Conversing with Contemporary Folk Art," a series ofguided tours, highlighted the contemporary works on view at the museum.On Wednesday,Jan. 21, the Epstein/Powell Gallery in SoHo hosted an informal conversation and cocktail reception for the museum's Americus Group. Approximately 45 attendees were treated to an engaging dialogue as gallery owners Gene Epstein and Kay Powell discussed the works of Rex Clawson,Victor Joseph Gatto,Justin McCarthy,and Lamont Alfred "Old Ironsides" Pry with Brooke Davis Anderson, director and curator ofthe museum's Contemporary Center. On Friday,Jan.23,the membership department led the annual Folk Art Explorers'day trip "Inside Outsider Art in New York," a tour that featured two Manhattan private collections. On Sunday,Jan. 25,Trustee Edward V. Blanchard Jr. graciously hosted a brunch in his home as a benefit fund-raiser for the museum's Contemporary Center. A highlight ofthe morn-
ing was a tour through the extensive Blanchard-Hill collection led by art historian Roger Cardinal. One ofthe most anticipated events ofthe Outsider Art Fair weekend was the Anne Hill Blanchard Symposium,"Uncommon Artists XII: A Series ofCameo Talks." Organized by Lee Kogan and presented by the museum's Folk Art Institute and the Contemporary Center on Saturday, Jan. 23,the panel included Roger Cardinal,who discussed the work of"modern cave artist" Cristina Sefalosha; William A.Fagaly, who gave an overview ofthe life and art of Sister Gertrude Morgan; Dr.Pamela Sachant,who analyzed aspects of Eddie Arning's oeuvre; and Dr.Pamela Rogers, who presented works by artists with autism. The museum thanks all of the artists, galleries, contributors, coordinators, and the many guests who attended the Outsider Art Fair and its related programs this year. Each new fair brings fascinating new discoveries!
THE AMERICAN ANTIQUES SHOW he American Antiques Show,a four-day benefit organized by the American Folk Art Museum,was held Jan. 15-18 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City A group of45 exhibitors created a dazzling display ofAmerican objects ranging from the 17th through the 20th centuries. Look for a full report on The American Antiques Show and the gala opening night preview in the fall 2004 issue ofFolk Art.
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Phyllis Hollis and Charles N. Atkins
Dan Nadel with Frank Johnson books at the Carl Hammer Gallery booth