LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new art museum in Louisville is showing off a local artist's work for its inaugural show this week.
Outsider Art Museum and Gallery opens Nov. 8 in the Portland neighborhood. The museum is showcasing the work by Mark Anthony Mulligan, who was known for his colorful personality around the Highlands for many years. Mulligan died last November after his artwork was featured in museums across the country and in local galleries.
Alex Huninghake, the executive director and curator of the museum, wants to give a spotlight to local artists who might not have had attention brought to their work.
Outsider Art Museum and Gallery is located at 2510 Portland Avenue in Louisville, Ky.
"Kentucky has a really vibrant folk art community," Huninghake said. "When people think about folk art, they often think about Kentucky, but it's generally in the context of rural subject matter. My feeling was outsider art, which encompasses more urban environments and subject matter that isn't really fully representative in that world."
The inaugural exhibit, "Mark Anthony Mulligan: Share a Little of Things of Yourself," showcases dozens of selected works by the Louisville artist. It includes real and imagined places, along with signs and logos. Despite struggling with houselessness and mental illness, Mulligan used his artwork to connect with more people.
"There's so much of his work out there, there are so many people who offered to lend their pieces to the show," Huninghake said. "I think he was very loved and touched a lot of people. It was just kind of easy after a while because people wanted to support him. It's the affect he had on people."
Mulligan's artwork appears in shows at the Chicago Art Institute, the Weston Art Gallery in the Aronoff Center for the Arts in Cincinnati, the Kentucky Folk Art Center in Morehead and the New Orleans Museum of Art.
Mark Anthony Mulligan art show flyer.
"He was a true visionary artist with a super unique style," Huninghake said. "He's really iconic for his cityscapes in his street scenes. We have a few pieces in the show that are a little more unique, things that he made in the last couple months of his life that people haven't seen."
The first showing goes from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday. A film about Mulligan's artwork is set to be played at 7 p.m. The museum's weekly hours aren't set yet, but Huninghake expects Thursdays through Saturdays and also by appointment.
Outsider Art Museum and Gallery at 2510 Portland Ave. joins a budding art scene in the area, including Louisville Visual Art, the University of Louisville Hite Art Institute, Rockerbuilt and the Common Gallery in PORTAL @ fifteenTWELVE.
"It's really exciting to be part of the growing arts community here," Huninghake said.
For more information about Outsider Art Museum and Gallery, click here.
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