While outsider art has enjoyed increasing cache among art institutions, critics and commercial galleries in recent years, outsider artists themselves continue to face daily challenges in making their work. Most artists under capitalism face such difficulties; yet in particular for artists with disabilities, the failure of the United States to provide and adequate social safety net and affordable healthcare services (not to mention meaningful funding for the arts) makes creating work financially and logistically difficult, if not impossible.
Located in the heart of Chelsea, Pure Vision Arts addresses the need for artists with autism and developmental challenges to have a supportive place to work. It’s the only professional artist studio in New York City of its kind and along with Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, one of only a handful of institutions in the country. In addition to studio space, PVA provides artists with materials, gallery representation, access to to a community of other artists, and assistance for artists when needed. Though the space serves artists regardless of commercial success, because of limited space and resources, the waitlist for access to the institution is years long and even then, admittance requires that the artists already have a fairly established practice and significant body of work.