Neurodiverse and disabled artists joining the mainstream, yet discrimination persists

Project Art Works, a collective of neurodiverse artists and activists, has been nominated for the Turner Prize
© Project Art Works

With Project Art Works nominated for the Turner Prize in 2021, and growing institutional interest, the art world is waking up to "outsiders" but advocates fear their exploitation. The pandemic year has brought questions of access and disability rights into new focus, and the art world is paying attention. Tess Thackara writes for The Art Newspaper about this, and the issues it raises, with further information provided by myself, alongside other American art dealers Paige Wery and Sonia Dutton, and british artist Thompson Hall who works out of ActionSpace.

“Advocates and dealers in this field, however, caution that, while recognition and prices for these artists are growing, there are still plenty of barriers to entry for “outsider” artists into the market, and the risk of exploitation remains high.”