Outside Forces

Featuring: Arts of Life Artist David Krueger

Art Enables 15^th annual exhibition of work by self-taught artists

The term “outsider art” may call to mind a number of concepts, many that have been historically debated. Defined in the strictest sense, it may include only artists who work in extreme isolation, have little to no contact with other artists and art institutions, and who may not even have a concept of their own work as art. Since the term was coined, outsider art has continued to gain recognition and popularity. With that increase in recognition – and under the ever-present influence of the internet – the term is often (sometimes controversially) used more broadly. Self-taught artists may be considered “outsider” even if they have more awareness of the art world than like-minded artists of the past. While an exact definition of outsider art can be difficult to pin down, one often feels they know it when they see it: inventive work motivated by the artist’s own personal concepts and desires, rather than the expectations and trends of the mainstream art world.

Participating Studios: Art Enables (Washington, DC), Arts of Life (Chicago, IL), Center for Creative Works (Wynnewood, PA), Creative Growth (Oakland, CA), ECF Art Centers (Los Angeles, CA), Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts (Saint Paul, MN), Make Studio (Baltimore, MD), Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts (Edmonton, Canada), Project Onward (Chicago, IL), SAGE Studio (Austin, TX), Spring Dell Center (La Plata, MD), St. Elizabeth’s Hospital (Washington, DC), Studio In-Sight (Bethesda, MD), VisAbility Art Lab (Rockville, MD)

Opening Reception:
Friday, September 11
5 p.m.- 7 p.m. (CST)

Gallery Hours:
Thursdays:
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. (EST)
Saturdays:
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (EST)