Thomas Arlen Wagner, a Columbus resident, has been collecting Outsider art for over 30 years. His collection is evenly divided between “Outsider” (self taught) and “Insider” (trained) artists. Most exhibitions feature one group or the other, but not both. With “Art is Art” as the philosophy, the aim of this 100+ piece exhibition is to mix it up!
Opening Reception: June 24, 7-9pm
June 24-July 23, 2017
Cost: Free, Donations appreciated.
Wagner’s extensive private collection includes works from such artists as Howard Finster, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Thornton Dial, Jane “In Vain” Winkelman, Levent Isik, Bessie Harvey, Chris Hipkiss and Mark Beyer of RAW Magazine & MTV’s Liquid Television fame. Beyer is perhaps best known for Amy + Jordan, the beleaguered protagonists of his dark & anxious graphic novel “Agony” as well as its accompanying compilations of comic strips.In 2013, Wagner curated the first in-depth retrospective of Beyer’s work “Mark Beyer: With/Without Text” at OSU’s Urban Arts Space in Columbus. The exhibition featured more than 130 objects from Wagner’s personal collection, including 70 original drawings and paintings.
Work from Wagner’s collection has been loaned to institutions across the country and around the world, including the American Folk Art Museum in NYC, the Folk Art Society of America, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in Chicago & the Halle Saint Pierre Museum in Paris for “25 Years of Raw Vision”, Raw Vision magazine’s 25th anniversary exhibition.
Approximately half of the work displayed will be the creation of Outsider artists while the remaining work will be the product of trained artists, including Cleveland artists Scott Miller, George Kocar, Amy Casey, Archived Artist Douglas Max Utter, Columbus Artists Christian Faur, Daniel Ferlan, Scott Galloway, Janis Mars Wunderlich and many other artists from around Ohio.
The exhibition will run from June 24 to July 23 and an opening reception will be held on Saturday, June 24 from 7-9 PM.
Mansfield Art Center
700 Marion Ave.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday – Sunday
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
above image: Matt Sesow (Outsider), “Visions and Dreams” (2004) mixed media on paper
Photo Credit: Facebook Event Page