Interact Takes Manhattan: Dispatches from the Outsider Art Fair.

Banner image: Artist Janice Essick. Photo courtesy Interact.

 

How to describe the Outsider Art Fair?

“Very cool and very different,” says artist Lucy Picasso. “I haven’t seen that many people in my entire life.”

Picasso was one of five artists from Interact, a progressive art studio in Saint Paul, to show their work at the New York fair in early March. The fair takes place annually, in both New York and Paris. 

“It was a great fair,” says Scott Sorensen, a ceramic artist at Interact. “There was artwork from around the world.”

It was an incredible moment for both studio staff and artists. Given how well-known the Outsider Art Fair has become over the last 30 years, the application process is competitive. With this in mind, Brittany Kieler, Interact’s gallery director, reached out to artist Lauren dela Roche about a proposal for this year’s event.

“It’s been a dream for decades, for both our founder and current director,” says Kieler. “Lauren has been a collector and supporter of Interact for a number of years. It felt really serendipitous that she was able to work on this project with us.”

 

Curating the Dialogue

Dela Roche spent time looking through the large body of work that Interact artists have produced over the years. Although the proposal process took time, it was a fun experience for a longtime fan of the studio.

“I’m pretty familiar with a lot of the artists there. I’ve been following what they’ve been doing,” said dela Roche. “There’s a lot of overlap because the artists all work in the studio together. . .I wanted to highlight that.”

After their proposal was accepted, it came time to select the actual pieces. Dela Roche came to St. Paul and combed through hundreds of pieces from each of the five artists to find and create that unique dialogue.

“The art that I ended up choosing, it felt like they could all be in this other world together,” she says. “I wanted the work to have a flow to it, that felt very much like the artists were losing themselves in the process of creating. That’s something special to Interact. It’s an environment that the artists go to to really feel free, creatively supported, and open to whatever comes naturally.”

 

Artist Scott Sorensen. Photo courtesy Interact.

 

Although Interact didn’t have to provide a formal title for their booth, dela Roche named it Muppets on Mars in her curatorial statement. This was partly a nod to Sorensen’s affinity for the Muppets, and the inspiration that puppets bring to his work creating ceramic masks. It also spoke to the unique world that Interact artists and artwork creates.

In addition to Picasso and Sorensen, Interact’s booth also featured work from Carl Clark, Janice Essick, and Matt Zimdars. Each of the five artists featured approximately 10 pieces at the fair. Over four days, the artists and Interact staff talked with visitors, sold work, and connected with other artists. 

 

A Joyful, Exciting Moment

“It was a really joyful, exciting moment. The fair was really well-attended . . . this year, there were over 10,000 visitors,” says Kieler. “It’s been a great way to connect with other progressive art studios from all over the country. We had the chance to meet staff from those studios, and share ideas and strategies.”

All five Interact artists sold work at the fair. Given the number of attendees, it was also an opportunity to make connections outside of the local art scene and present their work to a new audience. 

 

Artist Carl Clark. Photo courtesy Interact.

 

“People were really surprised by the colors I chose,” says Picasso. “I introduced myself to them and showed them my paintings. They looked and said, ‘You did an awesome job.’”

Interact had risograph portraits of the five artists. Picasso signed hers and gave them out to visitors, eventually running out and making new sketches on the spot to autograph and distribute. Both Picasso and dela Roche mentioned the unique feeling of showing work in New York. 

 

Work from Interact artists, gallery at the Outsider Art Fair, 2025. Photo courtesy Olya Vysotskaya.

 

“It is 100 percent different,” says dela Roche, reflecting on past shows in both Minneapolis and New York. “There are so many different people seeing your work and responding to it on a different level. It feels really validating to have those conversations with people who aren’t part of your smaller community, and who see something different about your work.”

Picasso noted the number of new people she was able to meet, including a celebrity sighting of Susan Sarandon. 

“I had so much fun being there and selling my work,” says Picasso. “I was able to talk to different people that I didn’t know and introduce myself to them.”

 

Outsider Art: An Ongoing Conversation 

Describing outsider art is complicated. 

Historically, the term has meant art by someone who is self-taught. But because the conversation about what makes something art is always changing. It’s only natural that the term “outsider artist” is always changing as well, notes dela Roche.

She described it as an ongoing conversation, one in which progressive art studios play a vital part.

 

Artist Matt Zimdars. Photo courtesy Interact.

 

“There were a few different booths this year that were specifically by progressive art studios. It’s a new addition to have this many progressive art studios,” says dela Roche. “I think ‘outsider’ is an esoteric term. You can use it if you want to, and not use it if you don’t want to.”

After a quarter century, the Outsider Art Fair conjures up its own expectations.

“Through the years, they’ve established a perception that the art is going to be really interesting, really good, and hit on a different level,” says dela Roche. “There’s this theme of art that feels very vulnerable and personal. It’s not super showy. It’s not put together in a way that’s for the viewer. I think that’s one of the things people like about the Outsider Art Fair.”

 

Lucy Picasso, Outsider Art Fair, 2025, Photo courtesy Olya Vysotskaya.

 

These themes were something that drew dela Roche to Interact, as well. The visible freedom in the artists’ processes. The unique world and dialogue that artists at the studio built together. The materials the artists select to the way they apply these materials, the way you can see the process in the finished work.

This newness and interest translated to visitors at the fair who responded to Interact’s booth, admiring the materials and methods and purchasing much of the artists’ work. It’s a unique corner of the art world that patrons — in Minnesota and around the world — are excited to visit. ◼︎ 

 

To check out more of the artwork featured at the Outsider Art Fair, visit the Interact Online Viewing Room through March 31.