this week in outsider art: felix the great was so heavy, a gorgeous hundred year old opticians sign, minnie evans + more

plus, beautiful james "son ford" busts and you can help progressive art studio collective

Jul 23, 2023

**KAY LE SEELLEUR ARA** When he died, Felix the Great was so heavy, that he had to be hoisted by a posse of pussy angels up into Pussy Heaven. (2023) courtesy *the artist*

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THIS WEEK IN OUTSIDER ART

for daily postings of outsider art visit folkartwork.art

**ARTIST UNKNOWN** Optician's Sign (late 19th century) // Painted cast iron; 8 5/8 × 23 in. (21.91 × 58.42 cm) via *Milwaukee Art Museum*

**MINNIE EVANS** Modern Art (1963) // Oil, ink, and crayon on paper board; 11 1/4 x 14 1/2 inches via *High Museum of Art*

**JAMES "SON FORD" THOMAS** Untitled works (1987) // Unfired clay, artificial hair, sunglasses, aluminum foil, glass marbles; roughly both 9 x 8 x 8 inches via *Souls Grown Deep Foundation*

**JIMMY LEE SUDDUTH** Basket of Flowers (date unknown) // Paint, sweet mud on wood; 24x24 inches via *Jeanine Taylor Folk Art*

**ARTIST UNKNOWN** Detention center (1978) // Cotton tocuyo (sacking material), wool, synthetic fibers, wood, tocuyo; 14 3/16 x 19 11/16 in. (37 x 50 cm) via *Museum of International Folk Art*

**JACKIE BRADSHAW** Can’t be contained (c. 2023) // Acrylic on canvas -- all new work available for purchase via the artist *in the FolkArtwork Collective* ✌️

**WILLIE MASSEY** Willie (c 1980) // Photography, paint on cardboard; 31 X 39 cm via *The* *Gallery of Everything*

**MARIA PRYMACHENKO** I herded horses instead of my father (date unknown) via *Saatchi Gallery*

**MAESTRO BUSTOS** Dump Trucks (c. 1985) // Paint on tin via *American Folk Art Museum*

**CHERYLLE BOOKER** Sympathy for a Monster I (date unknown) // Ceramic Mask; 8x8x4 via *Project Onward*

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OH WORD?

**Progressive Art Studio Collective Could Use Your Help!**

The great folks at Progressive Art Studio Collective, a public art gallery and studio for disabled artists in Detroit are looking to grow. They are trying to raise $50k by August 5th (they are already halfway there!) to win a matching grant MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative. This funding would help them build a new, beautiful, state-of-the-art permanent gallery and studio.

“This fully ADA accessible professional gallery and studio space will provide a platform for artists with developmental disabilities and/or mental health differences to create and share their creative expression with the community, offer them opportunities to build careers and earn an income from their chosen profession as an artist. This will be the first permanent public gallery and studio for artists with disabilities.”

With just about 20 days left, if you are able — you can donate to Progressive Art Studio Collective here.

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ART ENVIRONMENT OF THE WEEK

FATHER SCHEIER St. Peter’s Rock Grotto (1926-1933) // Rock from the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota, decorative petrified wood from North Dakota, sea shells from the Hawaiian Islands, marble from Tennessee, and one rock from the Calista Catacombs in Rome, Italy

Father Scheier was born and raised in South Dakota and went to school for seminary training. Throughout his training he became exposed to numerous spiritual sites, probably Father Dobberstein — that dude was everywhere in the early 20th century — and while Father Scheier had no formal art training, he was a man who found art in religion and religion in art.

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MUST-WATCH

**WATCH: ‘The Gospel According to Ralphael’ this Film Friday**

Ralphael Plescia spent decades interpreting scripture through art in his self-described ‘Christian School’ in Salt Lake City, Utah. This documentary is an inside look at one of the more remarkable art environments created by one man.

For nearly 50 years, Ralphael Plescia has been making religious art to explore the story of creation in his private museum in Salt Lake City, Utah.
His project has one overriding vision: to tell the story of Biblical creation in the right way by restoring characters and tales lost to history. The sculptures and paintings are not within the rooms, but are a part of them. Underground tunnels have been hollowed out to make space for Hell and the Garden of Eden. Narrow pathways and bridges traverse groundwater bubbling up from below.

Directed by Travis Low and Torben Bernhard, this doc was selected as an “Editor’s Pick” by The Atlantic.

watch now