St. Paul artist Lucy Johnson — known in art circles as Lucy Picasso — has never been to New York. She will be showing her paintings there this week.
“I’m pretty excited,” Johnson says. “I just like showing my artwork to different people that I haven’t met.”
For 17 years, Johnson has been an artist with Interact, the St. Paul center for the visual and performing arts that supports artists with disabilities. For the first time, a group of artists from Interact will show their artwork at the Outsider Art Fair in New York, which runs Feb. 27-March 2. Two artists, Johnson and Scott Sorenson, are attending.
Lucy “Picasso” Johnson has been an artist with Interact for 17 years.
Courtesy of Interact
It is the leading fair for outsider art. Outsider art has an ever-evolving definition. The most common is art by artists who are not formally trained, or art that exists outside of the conventions of the traditional art world.
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Interact gallery director Brittany Kieler, who will also attend the fair, says this was a dream of Interact’s founders. The nonprofit has applied several times for the fair.
“It’s something that’s been a goal for a long time for us, so it’s finally coming true,” Kieler says.
The painting “My Choice” by artist Matt Zimdars will be up at the Outsider Art Fair Feb. 27-March 2.
Courtesy of Interact
The work of five Interact artists will be at the fair, including Johnson, Carl Clark, Janice Essick, Matt Zimdars and Scott Sorensen. Sorensen is also attending the fair.
Interact tapped artist Lauren dela Roche to curate the show. Dela Roche is based in St. Louis, Miss., but lived in Minnesota for several years.
“I have been interested in what the artists are doing at Interact for a very long time,” dela Roche says.
Dela Roche visited Interact and laid out all the potential artworks for the fair.
“I wanted to create an environment with all the pieces working together,” dela Roche says. “You could see Lucy’s portraits somehow living in Carl Clark’s landscapes. And this idea of Scott’s masks having a similar theme to the way Janice is so raw with her emotions and her faces.”
Artist Lauren dela Roche curated the Interact artist’s work for the Outsider Art Fair. “I have been interested in what the artists are doing at Interact for a very long time,” dela Roche says.
Courtesy of Macayli Hausmann, Interact
Dela Roche says showing in New York is an important step for artists.
“It’s a pivotal point in an artist’s career, but it also can kind of legitimize the art in a different way, especially if you’re in the arts outsider realm, because you will have people that view art in a more critical lens looking at your work,” dela Roche says.
Johnson uses acrylic paints, paint markers and colored pencils. She also sculpts. Much of her work features celebrities, including Garth Brooks, Lucille Ball, Cher and Prince. Alongside these are figures from art history — Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo. Johnson also loves horror movies, which has inspired several paintings.
A painting of Carrie from the 1976 horror film by Lucy “Picasso” Johnson will be on view at the Outsider Art Fair in New York this week. “She’s an icon, just like Medusa,” says Johnson.
Courtesy of Interact
“Lucy is very well known for her scary portraiture,” dela Roche says.
Johnson’s favorite painting going to New York is a portrait of Carrie, from the 1976 horror film.
“Carrie is about a girl with a bloody face and a red dress,” Johnson says. “She’s an icon, just like Medusa.”
A series of masks by Interact artist Scott Sorensen are on display at the Outsider Art Fair in New York.
Courtesy of Interact
