Founded in 1993, the OAF focuses on self-taught, off-the-grid artists like Helen Rae, ACM and M’onma, as well as work by the likes of Henry Darger, Bill Traylor, and William Edmundson.
Though originally held in Midtown, the OAF moved to Chelsea in 2012 when it was acquired by Wide Open Arts company. The move was successful, and the fair received rave reviews, tripling previous attendance records. The OAF traveled to Paris in 2013 and helped revive that city’s tradition of championing self-taught artists. In October the OAF celebrated five years of exhibiting in the City of Lights.