The Survivor Art Gallery Story

Early on we recognized a need to bring high-impact works of art to the general public. We felt that such works, although jarring, shouldn't be hidden away in holocaust museums or confined to the collections of the paintings of serial killers or the insane.

In 1996 curator Christa Haight began assembling works from private collections of some very disturbed individuals. She wasn't sure at that time where to show them, but she knew the public needed to see these very special works.

Meanwhile, survivorart.com became the vehicle for the beautiful and poignant works of concentration camp survivor Dinah Gottliebova-Babbitt, and in 1999 The Survivor Art Gallery received extensive publicity for this work in places such as The Review Journal and Art Cult.

In 2001 Gallery Curator Christa Haight moved her collection to survivorart.com to replace the works of Gottliebova-Babbit which had been withdrawn. The Survivor Art Gallery continues to show work that others will not: Paintings that graphically illustrate abuse, trauma and survival.

The question is often asked, 'where do these artists fit in the understanding of the art world?' We answer generally that survivor art is a collection of subject matters rather than a kind of art, but we have to add that this sort of work is almost always produced by people which the art world terms 'outsider artists.'

Survivor artists paint or create other works of art from the depths of their pain, not from formulas generated by art schools or because of commercial aspirations. These special artists bring us rare insight into the human condition. They offer a glimpse at the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights to which the spirit can soar.

We encourage you to look behind the pieces in this gallery, use your innate compassion to feel with the artist. They are not here to be freak shows, they are here to share their life experiences with you.

The artists have done their part, now you can do yours.

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Are you a survivor? Do you paint from your pain? Maybe it's time to share your work with the world. We occasionally have openings to display new pieces, so if you think you might have the right stuff write to us.

Want to help? The Survivor Art Gallery is a labor of love but while the gallery is free to artists and viewers, the space and bandwidth we use is not. Please help us - make a difference in YOUR world as well as ours!