We Are Birds artist list and programming

Outsider Art Fair, the only fair dedicated to self-taught art, art brut and outsider art, opens today at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. Running from March 2–5, 2023, the 31st edition of the fair features over 65 exhibitors from 28 cities in eight countries, with twelve first-time exhibitors.

This year’s OAF Curated Space: We Are Birds, is co-curated by Grammy Award-winning music producer and supervisor Randall Poster, and fair owner Andrew Edlin, who have been friends since childhood. In partnership with The Birdsong Project, a collaboration with some of the world’s most respected musicians, artists, poets, and actors to support and heighten awareness of bird conservation, the exhibition features works inspired by birdlife made by over forty self-taught and contemporary artists in support of The National Audubon Society.

The Birdsong Project recently released For The Birds, an art-filled, 20-LP box set containing over 200 tracks of original music and bird-related poetry by composers and performers 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. A limited number of box sets are available for purchase at the fair. 

We Are Birds artist list 
Vahakn Arslanian, Shuvinai Ashoona, Romare Bearden, Pearl Blauvelt, Ilija Bašičević, Beverly Buchanan, Greg Burak, James Castle, Jacqueline Cedar, Kashinath Chawan, Thedra Cullar Ledford, Joseph Dupré, Paul Edlin, William Edmondson, Peter Eglinton, Minnie Evans, Tony Fitzpatrick, Walton Ford, Gary Goldhill, Daniel Gonçalves, Susan Halls, Karel Havlicek, William Hawkins, Pam Lins, Andy Malone, Margaret Meehan, Stanley Mouse, Michel Nedjar, Carolyn Oberst, Paa Joe, Madelaine Peckenpaugh, Kananginak Pootoogook, Eleanor Ray, Zack Rosen, Mark Sabin, Hans Schmitt, Jon Serl, Marilyn Shaw, Janet Sobel, Olga Spiegel, Fred Tomaselli, Bill Traylor, John Tweddle, Eugene von Bruenchenhein and Domenico Zindato.

For this year’s fair programming, OAF Talks featured two panel discussions, held at the Americas Society on Monday evening, February 27th. The first conversation focused on the life and work of artist Minnie Evans (1892-1987), featuring insights from Nathan Kernan, Elizabeth Penton and Wayne Evans, and was moderated by Esther Adler, Curator of Drawings and Prints, MoMA. During the second panel conversation, writer, curator and editor Edward M. Gómez, and Bispo do Rosario: All Existing Materials on Earth co-curator Javier Téllez discussed Bispo do Rosario’s oeuvre. 

This year’s Online Viewing Room (OVR) is now accessible beginning today, and feature distinct presentations of available works from each exhibitor, with additional editorial content. 

For more information on the Outsider Art Fair exhibitors, programming, and We Are Birds, please visit here.

About the Outsider Art Fair
Founded in New York in 1993, the Outsider Art Fair is the original art fair concentrating specifically on self-taught art, presenting works by acknowledged masters such Henry Darger, Bill Traylor and Aloïse Corbaz, as well as living artists like George Widener, Susan Te Kahurangi King, Dan Miller, Shinichi Sawada and Luboš Plný. Quickly recognized for its maverick spirit, OAF has played a vital role in nurturing a passionate collecting community and broader recognition for outsider art in the contemporary art arena.

In 2012, Wide Open Arts, a company founded by gallerist Andrew Edlin, acquired the fair. Propelled by its immediate success in New York, a Paris edition was inaugurated in October 2013, helping to reinvigorate that city’s long tradition in the art brut field.

Accessibility
Wide Open Arts is dedicated to providing access to everyone. If you require assistance during your visit, please contact us at info [​at​] outsiderartfair.com for more information.

Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011
March 2–5, 2023

VIP & press preview: Thursday March 2, 2023, 12–6pm
Vernissage: Thursday March 2, 2023, 6–9pm
Open to the public: Friday & Saturday March 3–4, 2023, 11am–8pm / Sunday March 5, 2023, 11am–6pm

Connect: website / @outsiderartfair
Press contact: Cultural Counsel, outsider [​at​] culturalcounsel.com