FolkArtwork and Friends

In the eighth episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, I am pleased to catch up with my good friend Ryan Ward of The Ruffed Grouse Gallery. Ever since I was first mistaken for Ryan at the Outsider Art Fair in 2024, we hit it off, and he's been a great mentor and friend as he helps me navigate this world of outsider art. I talk to Ryan about his relationship with art growing up as a kid in rural Pennsylvania, spending tons of time outside, discovering artwork by Purvis Young and Jimmy Lee Sudduth that catapulted him into the world of self-taught and outsider art, as well as purchasing his first work while in grad school. Plus, we talk about our time at the Outsider Art Fair, the artist Little Walt Dog, discovering a piece of art created by Jerry Saltz, and the future of the outsider art world. Then, in celebration of May Day, a look at the life of self-taught artist Ralph Fasanella, whose large, detailed works depicted urban working life and critiqued post-World War II America. Follow Ryan Ward and The Ruffed Grouse Gallery on Instagram at @ruffed_grouse_gallery, and check out their latest gallery in Narrowsburg, New York, titled "Out Of Hand And Foot: Tanner Simon | Charles Farless" on display until June 14th. Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists If you are in the Des Moines area, come to the Mainframe Studios "First Friday" event on May 1st from 5pm-8pm to see me hanging out with Ashley Mary in our studio and showcasing some of the artwork from the Outsider Art Fair, including works by Kay Le Seelleur Ara, Reneesa Mccoy, Jackie Bradshaw, Pam Puck, and more! Chapters (00:00:00) - Folk Artwork & Friends: April 2nd(00:03:07) - Interviewing Ryan Ward(00:07:35) - "We're Like Long Lost Friends"(00:07:43) - Adam and Ruffed Groose at the Outsider Art Fair(00:11:13) - Exploring the Outsider Art of Pennsylvania(00:20:30) - Philip Maslow on Art and the World(00:26:21) - Outsiders at the Art Fair(00:27:00) - Inside the Outside Art Fair(00:31:28) - Meet Walt Dog(00:34:05) - Surprising Jerry Salts at the Outsider Art(00:39:45) - The Outsider Folk Art Fair(00:41:01) - Outer Art Fair: Future of the Art World(00:46:40) - The World's Greatest Places to See(00:48:52) - DESERT ART FAIR(00:53:24) - Thanks for Reading!(00:53:44) - Famous New Yorker Ralph Fasanella(00:59:12) - Interview(01:01:37) - Folk Art and Friends

In the seventh episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, I had a delightful conversation with self-taught artist Pam Puck. I've known Pam for a few years now and have always been blown away by their sculptures, but I've never really had a chance to get to know them personally. I talk to Pam about getting her start with ceramics in a kids' pottery class, teaching English in Italy, growing up watching 'Rosemary's Baby', and being, well, as she put it, "a creepy kid". Plus, I learn about how her talented artist husband's work inspires them, living in a cave for a period of time, as well as the excitement of showcasing artwork at this year's Outsider Art Fair.  Then, with the recent bombings taking place in Iran, an excerpt from "Empty Chairs", an exhibit by Fiuz Gallery and Outsider Inn Gallery featuring one-of-a-kind artworks by Iranian self-taught artist Alireza Asbahi Sisi, also known as CC.  Follow Pam Puck on Instagram at @msglitterguts and look for her work in the FolkArtwork Collective booth at the 2026 Outsider Art Fair. Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists See you in a few weeks in New York City for the Outsider Art Fair AND if you are in the Des Moines area, come to the Mainframe Studios "First Friday" event on March 6th from 5pm-8pm to see me hanging out with Ashley Mary in our studio and selling artwork for self-taught artist James Ash.  Chapters (00:00:01) - Farm Folk Artwork & Friends Podcast(00:03:47) - Pam Puck on Living in Italy(00:08:52) - Postcards for the Exhibition(00:11:04) - How to travel to the Cleveland Art Fair(00:14:00) - Sarah's work at Art Fair(00:17:31) - Naked Sculptures by Alessandra(00:22:15) - Teaching and the humor of your work(00:28:17) - Drawing Without a Plan(00:30:39) - What was your relationship like with art then? Like growing up(00:35:34) - Billy House on The Horror Film(00:38:20) - What's It Like Living With An Artful Husband(00:41:16) - Living in a cave(00:45:30) - Sarah Silverman on Meeting Her(00:48:34) - Iranian Artist Cece's(00:53:05) - Folk Artists and Friends

In the sixth episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, I am absolutely honored to talk with Nova Scotia's own Barry Colpitts, folk artist and wood carver, who creates some of the most magnificent works of art in North America. Thanks to Audrey Sanford of Black Sheep Gallery for setting this up, I get to sit down with Barry and hear about his beginnings, including his lack of relationship to art when he was younger, his start in wood carving while working as a prison guard, some of his "racy" mermaid carvings when he was in his twenties, plus he brings his one of a kind Prayer Helmet Whirligig to show off.  Plus, you can't really talk about folk art from Nova Scotia without talking about one particular artist, so please enjoy a little deep dive into the life and work of the one and only Maud Lewis.  Follow Black Sheep Gallery on Instagram at @blacksheepfolkart and check out their gallery at https://www.blacksheepart.com/ Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists AND if you are in the Des Moines area, come to the Mainframe Studios "First Friday" event on February 6th from 5pm-8pm to see me hanging out with Ashley Mary in her beautiful studio and selling artwork for self-taught artist James Ash. PLUS, Noel Hatfield's exhibit "Unsung Heroes" at Wake Up Iowa Coffee opening Saturday, February 7th! Chapters (00:00:00) - This is a prayer helmet(00:00:17) - Folk Artwork & Friends: Exciting News!(00:04:19) - Folk Artist Barry Kolpitz in Nova Scotia(00:06:36) - Hello, How Are You?(00:08:16) - The Colpitz Home: A visit to the art(00:12:17) - Cutting With a Horse's Hoof(00:13:22) - Carving From the Paintbrush(00:18:52) - Fool Art: Celebrating the South(00:21:40) - Wood Carving For Almost 40 Years(00:24:56) - Whirly Gigs(00:30:30) - Halifax craftsman makes seagull chairs(00:31:59) - Artists Get a King's Medal(00:33:17) - George Waterhouse on Drawing(00:37:58) - Barry and Betty Ann at TED(00:39:49) - Maude Lewis(00:48:13) - Unsung Heroes

In the fifth episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, self-taught artist Esteban Whiteside joins on a beautiful sunny morning to talk about how growing up, he was turned off from artwork because he could never draw realistically. After his dreams of playing professional basketball were dashed (I can relate), it was the free time he had while bartending and working as a security guard in one of his favorite museum collections that convinced him he could make art. After years of hustling and finding his calling, years later, he's still making some of the most poignant and powerful artwork in the contemporary art world.  Plus, a look into the life and work of self-taught artist Steve Ashby, an artist who was brought to my attention thanks to Esteban, who didn't start carving wood and making art well into his 60's. Follow Esteban on Instagram at @esteban.whiteside and shop his artwork at estebanwhiteside.com or on FolkArtwork at www.folkartwork.art/shop/esteban-whiteside Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists AND if you are in the Des Moines area, come to the Mainframe Studios "First Friday" event on January 2nd from 5pm-8pm to see me hanging out with Ashley Mary in her beautiful studio and selling artwork for my friends self-taught artist Reneesha Mccoy and Canadian folk artist Jackie Bradshaw. Chapters (00:00:07) - Folk Artwork & Friends(00:01:24) - Folk Art(00:02:40) - Interviewing Black Artist Esteban Whiteside(00:04:44) - A Little Compliment For Your Work(00:05:19) - Adam Levine on His Art When He Was Growing Up(00:08:50) - Did You Start Drawing Before College?(00:12:45) - The Des Moines Art Center Guard's Job(00:14:16) - Drawing While Drinking Alcohol(00:17:15) - Louis Mangion on Becoming an(00:24:24) - Steve Ashby and Elijah Pierce on Drawing(00:27:04) - How Having Kids Affects Your Work(00:30:31) - "2026": Plans to travel to North Carolina(00:32:22) - Esteban Whiteside at the Art Fair(00:35:38) - Steve Ashby

In the fourth episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, a longtime friend and champion of self-taught, disabled, and overlooked artists from around the world joins me -- Jennifer Gilbert of Jennlifer Lauren Gallery in Manchester. Jennifer shares her background and her work as a curator and advocate for inclusive art, from studying graphic design to discovering outsider art through her work with artists with schizophrenia, as well as curating her recent exhibit "Look Everywhere" with the artists whose work made up the brilliant show. All that, and more, including her outsider art collection series, what galleries and museums can do to be more inclusive, and meeting the one and only Shinichi Sawada. Plus, a look into the life and work of Japanese ceramicist Shinichi Sawada, who spent almost two decades baking bread in his mornings and creating out-of-this-world clay creatures in the afternoon -- all on the side of a mountain, firing his creations in a traditional wood fire oven, and becoming an internationally renowned artist.  Follow Jennifer on Instagram at @j_lgallery and check out her collector series interviews and learn more about her work here: http://jenniferlaurengallery.com/ Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists AND if you are in the Des Moines area, come to the Mainframe Studios "First Friday" event on December 5th from 5pm-8pm to see me hanging out with Ashley Mary in her beautiful studio and selling artwork for my friends self-taught artist Reneesha Mccoy and Canadian folk artist Jackie Bradshaw. Chapters (00:00:00) - Meet Naina Kalu(00:03:58) - Jennifer Gilbert on Outsider Art(00:05:35) - Shinichi Sawada at the Outsider Art Fair(00:06:54) - How to Talk to an Artist With a Disability(00:11:16) - Working on a Graphic Design degree(00:15:20) - Philip Glass on His Second Home(00:16:06) - Curating Look Here: 30 Progressive Art Studios Across America(00:24:55) - The Unlocking the Outsider Art Fair(00:31:37) - The Art of Being Able to See(00:35:41) - Interview(00:40:44) - The Secret Life of Art Collectors(00:45:08) - A Conversation With Shinichi Sawada(00:45:59) - Shinichi Sawada's Discerning Work(00:50:56) - Soada's work as an autistic artist(00:56:51) - The Japanese ceramicist's(01:01:52) - Meet Naina Kalu, the Turner Prize(01:04:58) - Shinichi Sawada's Sculptural Creatures(01:13:43) - Folk Art and Friends

In the third episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, instead of telling you about one of my favorite artists, I am joined by one of my favorite contemporary self-taught artists Montrel Beverly. This summer, Montrel was generous enough to create a few pieces of art for the show I curated at SAGE Studio & Gallery, and he continues to push the boundaries of what seems possible with art made from pipe cleaners. We talk about the first pipe-cleaner sculpture he ever made, a pipe-cleaner prank he pulled in high school, and his plans for a pipe-cleaner world record. Plus, you can see his work this January 2026 in Los Angeles at Megan Mulrooney Gallery. Follow Montrel on Instagram at @mrclowney_  Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists.

In the third episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, I am thrilled to be joined by author and anti-authoritarian folk art historian Isa Segalovich. My former teacher of "Folk Art + Modernism" and I discuss the lightning rod moments that changed her mind from pre-med to trying to make the world a better place through artwork. We discuss her love for Wisconsin roadside art environments, the Mummers Parade, her journey to Romania and Bulgaria, as well as her love for all things ornament, which led her to write her first book, "Ornament Now," out in 2026. Plus a glimpse into the humor and symbolism of the over 800 crosses that adorn the most beautiful cemetery in the world, the Merry Cemetery, located in Săpânța, Romania.  Follow Isa on Instagram and TikTok at @interstellar_isabellar  Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists.

In the second episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, I am delighted to sit down and talk to my friend Alex Huninghake, the Executive Director of Outsider Art Museum & Gallery in Louisville. I talk to Alex about becoming disillusioned with fine art in Austin, Texas, growing up in Kentucky, and having folk art around his whole life, how his mom helped convince him to start a gallery for outsider artists, and I thank him for giving me such a great hat. Plus, a deep dive into the life and art of Minnie Adkins, a 91-year-old self-taught wood carver from Kentucky who has become internationally renowned for her hand-carved and painted wooden animals. Be sure to check out Outsider Art Museum & Gallery's latest exhibit, "Melanated Messages", a group show dedicated to contemporary Black art spanning multiple generations in Louisville. Follow Alex on Instagram at @outsiderartky Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists.

In the first episode of FolkArtwork and Friends, I am thrilled to be talking to my friend Kylie Ryu, the Associate Director at Ricco/Maresca Gallery in New York City. I talk to Kylie about life before outsider art, how a random suggestion from her mom changed her art career, stumbling upon the world of outsider art, and how competitive cheerleading helped her land a job she knew she was destined for.  Plus, a deep dive into the life and art of JB Murray, a self-taught abstract expressionist painter from Georgia, whose ghostly, colorful works of art helped ward off evil. Be sure to check outRicco/Maresca Gallery's latest exhibit later this month, "Sarah Theresea Lee: What Big Eyes You Have", opening September 18th from 6pm-8pm. Follow Kylie on Instagram at @kyliejryu Follow @folkartwork on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more Subscribe to the "This Week in Outsider Art" Newsletter on Substack Visit folkartwork.art to shop self-taught art by emerging contemporary artists. Chapters (00:00:00) - Folk Artwork and Friends Podcast(00:02:21) - Interview with Kylie Ryu(00:10:54) - Kylie's "Outsider Art Origin Story"(00:19:55) - Getting the job with Ricco/Maresca Gallery(00:28:08) - The life and art of J.B. Murray

FolkArtwork and Friends is a deep dive into some of my favorite folk, outsider, visionary, and self-taught artists, and a conversation with some of my friends in the field about how they got their start, which artists inspire them, their favorite piece of art in their collection, and which roadside attractions their children went to kicking and screaming but actually loved. Once a month, listen, watch, like, subscribe, and enjoy a fun conversation between me and my friends. Chapters (00:00:01) - Folk Artwork and Friends