The work of self-taught artists and Audrey B. Heckler found each other at a moment of portent. It was 1993, and as she recalls, “I spotted a poster announcing a new event in New York, the Outsider Art Fair. There, I found a kind of art that really spoke to me. It fit me perfectly. I’m not afraid of unusual things. I like something different, something quirky.”

A native New Yorker, Heckler built up her wide-ranging collection as she continued learning about the art-making themes and techniques of self-taught artists. Still, its character is more personal than encyclopedic. “Years ago, I met the New York dealer Phyllis Kind”, she says. “She was the first to present classic European art brut in America. She became my mentor and a close friend. I enjoyed her Adolf Wölfli and Carlo Zinelli shows, and I bought works from her gallery.”

Image: Figures by Navaho artist Charlie Wiletto