Thank ya, Thank ya very much

(and inside jokes about Outsiders)

Steve and Amy Slotin – I will never forget the adrenaline rush the first time I walked into the Auction Hall.  Always a great time hanging out, laughing with you and kissing bears.  I started collecting with you, and now I would like to be finished with you.

Frank Maresca – The hardest working guy inside the Outsider world. Ricco Maresca Gallery is the historic center in this art field.  Kudos to you for all of your support, patience, beautiful publications, and excellent objects you have passed a southerner’s way. Long live Ricco/Maresca/Ramirez Gallery.

Shari Cavin – You are terrific, kind, always willing to listen, and to find me an old school artist even though I can’t pronounce the names of most of the current artists you sell.

Andrew Edlin – You have proven that art and business can mix well. You have done more for the Outsider world than the world gives you credit for. Thanks for the great art you have dealt this junkie over the years.

Tim Keny – You throw a “Pierc-ing” dart though my heart every time. Thanks for all of your help in building my Elijah Pierce collection.

James Brett – Thank you for outbidding me on so many objects.  My bank account appreciates you, and your competition helped me raise my game, a game you will always win.  You are the Art King of England, the US, and the world.

Stephen Romano – You keep me flying on Dellschau Aeros.  You have always been so helpful, fair, and easy going.

Cara Zimmerman – We laugh, giggle, and gossip, but you have raised the stakes with your expertise, connections, and savvy auctions.  You are the “premium” in the field.

Josh Feldstein – The first folkaholic I ever met at Slotin Auction.  You made me raise my paddle for a Nellie Mae Rowe.  You have been a great friend, sounding board, and trading partner.  You have pushed me to buy the best. I still think you pay too much.

Jim and Beth Arient – Good people. You have told me countless stories about the artists I never met.  Thanks for your friendship. Please, please sell me something.

Victor Keen – The “keenest” collector of Philly.  A man on a mission (Bethany).   You are always gracious as we compete at auctions, serve Intuit, and your collection will make a whole “Widener” world a better place. 

JoAnne O’Brien Scott - (I am her folk creation) - I gotta figure that my collecting habit started when I rented space for 9 months in your womb. Please, can we stop at more gas stations to ask the owner for bottle caps from the soda machine? Thanks for the patience in letting a 6 year old get their fingers sticky.

Kevin Gordon – Easy dealer, no pressure, and a terrific singer/songwriter. Thanks for your advice.

Philip March Jones – My head spins when you talk.  One of the smartest guys in the field. Thanks for throwing a few Finster gems my way and your scholarly work in the field is amazing.

John Maizels – So efficient, so prompt, and so helpful.  Thanks for all of your help on the bios on this site.  The Outsider field is definitely nurtured and sustained by your amazing publications.

Carol Crown – Your Coming Home show at University of Memphis was one of the greatest influences on my collecting.  I went a dozen times, taking family and friends.  Thanks for all of your “crowning” achievements in the study of this field.

Bob Roth & Cleo Wilson – You both have done so much for the field for such a long time. It’s better because of your support.  So glad to know you both.  Hmm…that Singleton would look great in my home.

Jennifer Lauren – You go girl.  Keep it going.  You have an amazing career ahead of you.  Your documentation of other fellow folkaholics will be a jewel for future generations.

Mark Karelson - You are the art king of Instagram.  So much of the early history is stored up in your brain ready to spill out for the next generation of collectors.

John Ollman – You are a classic in this field yielding so much early influence. Many of my best objects have come from your gallery.  

Carl Hammer – I love the old school dealers.  You have provided me some of the folkiest and funkiest things in my collection.  Always a pleasure doing business with the man in black.

Yolanda Jones – Carl would be a “mallet” without you.  I love your style, and your relentless pursuit of the sale. Always fair and full of joy!

Henry Boxer – You keep bringing great new artists to market despite the fact that you have been in the ring so long you belong in the Outsider Hall of Fame.  Keep your gloves on!

Christian Daniel – I don’t know where and how you keep blooming these Minnie Evans pieces. Thanks for letting me prune a few – of course, always at a profit. So smooth – are you really a doctor? 

Pat and Shane Streifel – Always smiling, even when I outbid you. Thanks for the camaraderie and sharing your stories with me.

Craig Weiner – Your unbridled enthusiasm for Outsider art is second to none. Thanks for passing the Memphis torch to me.

Rollin Riggs – Loved hearing about the Outsider field from you and cherry picking a few gems from your collection.  The West (Myrtice) is the best.

Mark and Jenny Freeland – Been fun traveling and collecting with you.  Don’t stop collecting or I’ll be forced into rehab where I will trade your Jack Savitskys for Mose Tollivers.

Selig Sacks - We eat with our eyes. Recipe: start with a Manhattan brownstone, add in a friendly international lawyer, and just a pinch - NO, a heavy handful - of the best Outsider art on the planet and you get a jaw dropping, show stopping, flambé that is too good to be true.

Duff Lindsay – The Nice Guy dealer. You are always fair, easy going, and low pressure.  Thanks for your early support and show of Edwin Jeffrey carvings. 

Deb Kerr, Scott Lang, Jan Petry, Susann Craig, Claire Fassnacht, and the Intuit Gang – Thanks for working so hard for the Outsider field.  You guys are definitely “into it.” Chicago collectors are the insiders of the outsider world.

Tim Hill - You are no hill but a mountain when it comes to quality anonymous works that have been “rolled” my way for years. Pleasant dealer who is always “Steady on Eddie” (Arning).

John Turner – Your book on Finster is one of my favorites.  I have really enjoyed getting to know you and a chunk of your collection looks better in my house than yours.

Joey Lin - OMF (Oh My Folk). A true Folkaholic who has assembled the best folk art sculpture collection and hooked 70,000 Instagram followers on his addiction. Check into @anonymousworksinc.

David Lusk – Thanks for letting loose of those 21 Ladis Sabos paintings which got this addiction rolling. OOPS on the Preacher Boyle Estate- I will pay you to take them back.

Audrey Heckler – I so enjoyed my visits to your apartment. You better double check to make sure nothing is missing. You are truly an original folkaholic in the most tasteful way.

Monty Blanchard and Leslie Tcheyan - Oh wow!  The visits to your place and speaking with you about your collection let me know I am truly on the junior varsity team.  Put me in, coach. 

Jason Busch, Valerie Rousseau, Karley Klopfenstein , and the AFAM staff – You guys got it going on and your tireless efforts promoting the Folk Art world will continue to bring worldwide attention to this important genre.  Plus, you are fun to party with.

Dr. Kurt Gitter and Alice Rae Yelen - Great art, great scholarship, great times! Thanks for your support over the years. I could use a little more. Throw me something, mista!

Matt Lippa and Elizabeth Schaaf (Folk Artisans) – Always fun, a little funky, and a bit far-fetched.  Thanks for all the crazy objects over the years.  I won’t mention that I fell through your floor on a visit, and that your prices to me may reflect your guilt.

Becky and Wyatt Collins – Great stories.  Great people. Great collectors.  I’m not crawfishing you.

Susan Crawley – You know when you are talking to an expert in the field. You are a curator’s curator. Can you cure me of this addiction? Your Hawkins show soared and you took the “High” higher.

Scott Ogden – You are “Make”-ing it. What a great job you are doing to sustaining interest in the classic self-taught artists. Are your prices in pesos or dollars?

Ann Oppenheimer – Your spicy energy is reflected in your tireless work for FASA, The Folk Art Messenger, and your awesome gifts of your collection.  Your lasting legacy is undoubtedly preserved.

Thomas Scanlin – “A diamond in a Rolls.” The great champion of Howard Finster. Fifteen years ago I tapped you on the back at Slotin and asked if you would sell me just one Finster. You said succinctly, “I have many Finsters and I can’t think of one I would let go.” Thanks for setting me on the right path to discovering the wonderment of Finster.

Marina Pacini - Say it 3 times fast! Thanks for launching Outsider art at the Brooks in Memphis with your curious, careful, collaborative curating. Ride that Felipe zebra into retirement.

Dan and Kristi Cleary – Have really enjoyed my time with both of you.  Thanks for sharing your collection with me.  I’ll take good care of it.

Leslie Umberger – Bravo to you for transforming the Smithsonian American Art Museum from a sleepy place to a super cool space to show people what we collect.  The energy and passion you brought to the Bill Traylor exhibit set the highest bar.  Can’t wait to see what is next.

Ron and June Shelp – I love seeing your collection and hearing your stories.  Come back to Memphis and I’ll open your Singleton door for you.

Carl Mullis – Amen. Your collection of religious folk art makes me want to go to church more often.  I’ll get you that Emile Branchard one day. 

Jerry Lauren – I thought of you as a high fashion “tailor.” Then went to your place and realized it was a high fashion “Traylor”.  You live in the only “Traylor park” in Manhattan. You and your collection are “top drawer.”

Ron (RIP) and Lynda Jerit (My Folk Artists) – Hunting, gathering, salvaging “treasures” at flea markets, garage sales, and alleyways -- this is how you get a 6 year old boy hooked.  Now, 50 plus years later, I can’t shake it.  Thanks F-O-L-K-S.

Aarne Anton – Extraordinary art dealer of the extraordinary.  You offer the coolest objects with the warmest temperament.  Hope to be stuffed, embalmed, and mounted on one of your excellent bases.

Jane Kallir - Jane, Jane, Jane! The consummate professional art dealer/gallerist/scholar. Without Galerie St. Etienne, I wonder if this genre would be as strong as it has become. I miss “mose-y-ing” around with you. Always afraid to ask the Grandma out on a permanent date at my house. Perhaps one day, I will get my courage up.

John Foster – The brilliant scholar who never met a polaroid snapshot he didn’t like.  I remember coming to St. Louis early in my collecting career to witness your collection.  That visit set me on the right path.

Katie Jentleson - Your “High-ness”. You are “crashing the gates” to flood the world with the beauty of the Outsider and Self-taught genre.

Bruce and Julie Webb - Folk Wizards of Waxahachie and the Best of Texas. I have enjoyed my visits to your lodge of “Tex-artistry” and “Carn-oddities.”

Tina Cox and the staff at Paradise Garden Foundation – If Howard was alive, he would paint you as angels flying in his work. Your efforts preserving Paradise Garden will reap future crops of Finster fans.

Matt Ducklo (Tops Gallery, Memphis) - Awesome job on the Jeffrey photos and I know you will come out on “Top” with Margaret Coleman. Long live The Possum!

George Viener – The wind up antique toy that never stops.  I love your energy for the folk and outsider art world. An amazing storyteller, you have forgotten more than I will ever know.

Bill Arnett (RIP) – I always enjoyed my visits with you. Thanks for talking (yelling) at me about the field.  Your publications are second to none.  There is no doubt – you will remain the modern day champion in the field.  Your dream, because of your effort and determination, came true.  You delivered validation for all Folkaholics!  

If I left you off the thank you list, it wasn’t because I don’t like you, it might be because you don’t like me. Please write to me if I didn’t include you as after 20 years of addiction my memory is going….…..going……….gone.