This Week in Outsider Art

This Week in Outsider Art

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This Week in Outsider Art
This Week in Outsider Art
⌁ rat tunnel in des moines

⌁ rat tunnel in des moines

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Apr 23, 2025
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This Week in Outsider Art
This Week in Outsider Art
⌁ rat tunnel in des moines
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FIND ❤️‍🔥F THE WEEK

It brings me great pleasure to bring Des Moines native Alexandre Shfifer, also known as Rat Tunnel on Instagram, to the FolkArtwork Collective x Dust Collective show this weekend! I’ve gotten to know Alex over the past few years and finally made it to his incredible studio last week to see some of his folk art inspired works that largely feature… rats.

A self-taught artist who creates some of the finest art you can see, made from some of the folkiest materials around, Alex only uses house paint and will paint a majority of his works on found things, including a lot of old wooden crates from the framing gallery he works at. I’m very pleased to be highlighting and showing more Iowa artists and hope to bring more and more of these super talented, super friendly folks.

Alexandre Shiffer is a self-taught artist working in Des Moines, Iowa. Making work out of recycled materials and leftover house paint, he works as a framer at a local art gallery, often taking home leftover wood scraps and crates to paint his folk art-inspired works. In 2016, he came up with the moniker “Rat Tunnel,” which has helped guide his work since and served as a calm in the storm.

This work is available for purchase at the FolkArtwork x Dust Collective Pop-Up Exhibit this Saturday, April 26th from 11am - 2pm at The Dust Collective (509 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA 50309).


✌️ every wednesday, this bonus newsletter with bonus outsider art content, including exhibit listings, personal collection highlights, and news of the week, will be sent to paid subscribers. The weekly ‘This Week in Outsider Art’ newsletter that goes out every Sunday morning continues to and will always be free of charge — enjoy ✌️


Join us Saturday, April 26th in Des Moines, Iowa — from 11am - 2pm the FolkArtwork Collective is pleased to present a popup exhibit featuring self-taught and outsider art available for purchase, a special book reading by Sean Moeller, vintage clothing, a raffle for folk art and more!

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This Week in Outsider Art

» The Dust Collective Pop-Up Exhibit! «

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