NEW YORK, NY.- Wide Open Arts, the New York-based organizer of the Outsider Art Fair – the premier event for self-taught art, art brut and outsider art – announced its exhibitors for the 26th edition, taking place January 18-21, 2018 at The Metropolitan Pavilion. The fair will showcase 63 galleries, representing 35 cities from 7 countries, with 10 first-time exhibitors.

Coming off of a successful 5th Outsider Art Fair Paris, which posted a 24% gain in attendance over the previous year, the forthcoming New York fair will continue to highlight the global reach of its artists and dealers, and will include: ex-voto sculptures unique to Brazil's Afro-Indigenous-European culture at Mariposa Unusual Art; and a collection of works by self-taught artists from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean at Indigo Arts. Korea Art Brut and Beijing's Almost Art Project will make their OAF debuts, as will Antillean, who will present work by three Jamaican artists, each of whom use found materials to evoke shanty village life. Drawings by New Zealand's Susan Te Kahurangi King will be the subject of a solo presentation at Chris Byrne and the sensational ceramic sculptures of Shinichi Sawada will be shown in New York for the first time at Jennifer Lauren Gallery.

The fair will welcome several new and dynamic presentations this year, including the Plains Indian Ledger Drawings from the 19th and the early 20th century at Donald Ellis Gallery; Norman Brosterman's presentation of hand-painted, woven baskets attributed to Plains Indian inmates incarcerated at the Iowa State Penitentiary; and a series of miniature terracotta figurines by Canadian artist Jordan Maclachlan at Marion Harris. As always, the Outsider Art Fair will offer visitors the opportunity to see artworks from internationally acclaimed figures such as Eugene Von Bruenchenhein at Carl Hammer; Minnie Evans at Luise Ross; Bill Traylor at Cavin-Morris; Martin Ramirez at Ricco Maresca and Thornton Dial at Fred Giampietro.

OAF's Curated Space will be organized by contemporary artist Saya Woolfalk, who will respond with her own work to Eddie Owens Martin's (aka St. EOM) visionary environment Pasaquan, which he conceived in rural Georgia as a personal utopia, where all cultures and ethnic groups come together, connecting with the earth and the universe. As an artist who uses science fiction and mythology as tools for thinking about the world, Woolfalk is drawn to St. EOM's approach to place-building. Through her installation, which will include original furniture from St. EOM's reading parlor and an astrologer performing readings in the space, Woolfalk hopes to evoke a similar, culturally resistant mythology.

This year's OAF Talk, "The Raw and the Cooked: Outsider Art Environments and Installation Art," will be organized and moderated by Paul Laster and take place at the Ace Hotel on Tuesday, January 16th. The hotel lobby will also be host to two exhibitions; an installation of drawings and paintings by Texan artist Ike Morgan curated by Shrine Gallery's Scott Ogden; and Shear Joy, the scissors collection of Harley Spiller, aka Inspector Collector.

2018 Exhibitors:
Austria, Maria Gugging: Galerie Gugging Nina Katshnig; China, Beijing: Almost Art Project; France, Saint Sever du Moustier: Galerie Pol Lemétais; Japan, Tokyo: Yukiko Koide Presents; South Korea, Seogwipo, Jeju Island: Korea Art Brut; United Kingdom, East Sussex: Jennifer Lauren Gallery; London: Raw Vision, Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, Sardac; Surrey: Henry Boxer Gallery; United States, Atlanta: Mason Fine Art; Baton Rouge: Gilley’s Gallery; Birmingham, MI: Hill Gallery; Boise, ID: Stewart Gallery; Brooklyn: Cathouse FUNeral, LAND Gallery, Magic Markings, Steven S. Powers, Phyllis Stigliano Art Projects; Chattanooga, TN: Tanner Hill Gallery; Chicago: Carl Hammer Gallery, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Karen Lennox Gallery; Claremont, CA: First Street Gallery; Columbus, OH: Lindsay Gallery; Dallas: Chris Byrne; East Hampton, NY: Norman Brosterman, Wilsonville; Iowa City, IA: The Pardee Collection; Kent, CT: James Barron; Lancaster, PA: Center for Creative Works; Los Angeles: Esperanza Projects, Ernie Wolfe Gallery; Memphis: Tops Gallery; Milwaukee: Portrait Society Gallery; New Haven, CT: Fred Giampietro Gallery; New York City: American Primitive, Andrew Edlin, Antillean, Cavin-Morris Gallery, Donald Ellis Gallery, Fountain House Gallery, Hirschl & Adler Modern, Humbaba, Inc., Joshua Lowenfels, Luise Ross, Marion Harris, Mariposa Unusual Arts, Pure Vision Arts, Ricco/Maresca Gallery, SHRINE, ZQ Art Gallery; Oakland, CA: Creative Growth Art Center; Philadelphia: Fleisher/Ollman, Indigo Arts Gallery; Potter Valley, CA: Krowswork; Sag Harbor, NY: MiddleJanes; San Francisco: Creativity Explored; Summerland, CA: Just Folk; Waxahachie, TX: Webb Gallery; Wimberly, TX: J Compton.