If it's outsider art, that is. It refers to art created by artists with disabilities or by artists with no formal art training. According to Richard Garriott-Stejskal the former manager, the gallery provides an opportunity for collectors to find the work of new and emerging artists in Albuquerque. In addition, the gallery offers work in various media, including watercolors, pastels, acrylics, prints, mixed media, silk screened designs, 3-dimensional works in clay and bronze, as well as jewelry and clothing items. And like other emerging outsider art galleries around the United States, the VSA Gallery shows the work of both master and apprentice artists alike.
Outsider art can be very powerful.
Artists who haven't had formal training don't know what they're not supposed to do. So they break rules or cross boundaries which are being observed by other, formally-trained artists. Admirers and collectors of outsider art are frequently struck by work that appears to have a simple design at first glance. But when they look more carefully, they become aware of a layering and a complexity that give much outsider art a wonderful sense of depth. Through the program, youth and adult apprentice artists with disabilities have opportunities to explore their creative and artistic talents.