Top image: Patrick Dougherty’s woven willow stickwork, via Colossal, featured below.
This week brings news of folk art trails in Georgia, fresh exhibitions on both sides of the Atlantic, and a look at how artists facing precarious circumstances are finding community through their work. There's also a thought-provoking piece on the myth-making around outsider artists.
Artists Facing Housing Insecurity Gather Around 'Outsider Art'
Willamette Week examines how artists experiencing housing insecurity are connecting through outsider art practices. The piece looks at the relationship between economic precarity and creative expression outside traditional art world structures. Read it at Willamette Week.
An Outsider's Roadtrip: Georgia Folk Art Installations To Visit
Flagpole has put together a guide to Georgia's folk art environments and installations worth seeking out. If you're planning a trip to the American South, this looks like a proper useful resource. Read it at Flagpole.
Self-taught artist's homage to his home town
Cultured North East profiles a self-taught artist creating work inspired by their local area. It's always good to see regional coverage of artists working outside formal training. Read it at Cultured. North East.
Self-taught artist lands dream solo show at National Trust site
The Falmouth Packet reports on a self-taught artist securing a solo exhibition at a National Trust property. This is the sort of institutional recognition that can make a real difference to an artist's career. Read it at Falmouth Packet.
On Exhibit: LSU Museum of Art's Folk Art Gallery
inRegister covers the folk art gallery at Louisiana State University's Museum of Art. Worth a look if you're interested in how American folk art is being presented in regional museum collections. Read it at inRegister.
Beyond the Myth of Chico da Silva
Hyperallergic examines how presenting Brazilian artist Chico da Silva alongside other Amazonian artists challenges the Western notion of the outsider artist as an isolated genius. It's a thoughtful piece about how we frame and mythologise self-taught artists. Read it at Hyperallergic.
Patrick Dougherty's 'Stickwork' Installations Conjure Connections with Nature
Colossal looks at four decades of Patrick Dougherty's remarkable environmental installations made entirely from twigs. His sculptural work transforms simple natural materials into immersive architectural forms. Read it at Colossal.
Studio BRUT is an outsider art studio and gallery in Swindon. We publish this round-up every week. For one email when something is worth knowing, join the newsletter at the bottom of this page, and our guide to 155 outsider artists is always open.