Self Taught

November 10, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Opening Reception: Sunday, November 10, 1-3pm

Bula
Serge D
Bill Healy
Karen Karen
Richard Knowles

Curated by Michael Shortell & Emily Weiskopf

“I’ve always thought that one of a gallery owner’s duties (and pleasures) is to build a collection of artwork by the artists he shows. In the early years, I felt I had to buy a piece from every show. After a while, I gave up the albatross and took up another. I decided I would buy all the work I could afford.” Over the years, I did buy out of a great many of my shows, and about half of my collection remains unframed.”- Michael Shortell

At the end of this past Spring I stopped by one of my old framers in Hartford, CT, Shortell Framing, owed and run by Michael Shortell. I had recently moved back to Connecticut and Shortell had framed my prints some 20 years back. I walked in and was immediately captured by Serge D’s portrait that gave me a familiar sense. Bula’s self-portrait in a bright yellow t-shirt hung high up on the wall. “Who made that I said immediately”. What I thought would be a quick stop turned into staying to listen to the MANY stories about the artists and their works. For example, all of Serge D’s paintings were originally dropped off at Manchester Community College to be painted over. When he met Karen Karen on the street one day she was only using colored pencil and Michael provided her with oil pastels which proved to be transformational to her visions. Bill Healy continues to be prolific in his collages and assemblages that engage in pop culture and his daily life. Lastly, when we visited Richard Knowles studio I was taken by the depth, sensitivity and rich details of his paintings being explored over the course of his life. Michael has been supporting - collecting artists for years, ran a gallery years ago and amassed an incredible collection of which some artists have never exhibited publicly. What was discovered between us was a mutual excitement, love, passion and commitment to supporting artists and their work first with no interest to their CV, or training, social media etc. We collaborated on this show to support ‘outsider’ artists, those who have been Self-Taught. These artists however, have never thought of themselves as outsiders.

We could have filled the gallery floor to ceiling. That might be the next show. - Emily Weiskopf

Michael Shortell collected the works from these artists over his many years framing artwork. Emily Weiskopf is the new Ambassador of ECOCA’s Curatorial Advisory Committee and former Keyhole Workspace Artist in Residence (Spring ‘24).