Gayleen Aiken facts for kids

Gayleen Aiken (born March 25, 1934 – died 2005) was an American artist. She lived in Barre, Vermont, her whole life. She became well-known for her unique paintings. Her art has been shown in many exhibits since the 1980s. People often call her an Outsider artist. This means she learned art on her own, not in a school.

About Gayleen Aiken

Gayleen Aiken was born in Barre, Vermont, on March 25, 1934. She taught herself how to paint and draw. She never went to art school. In the early 1980s, a group called Grass Roots Art and Community Effort (GRACE) discovered her. GRACE is an arts group in Vermont. They helped show her artwork for the first time.

Her Unique Art Style

Gayleen Aiken made many paintings and drawings. She often mixed stories with her pictures. She also made art from cardboard cut-outs and special books. She used crayons, pens, pencils, and oil paints.

Her art often showed themes from her life. These included music and musical instruments. She also painted her large old farmhouse where she grew up. The changing seasons of Vermont were another favorite topic. She also drew about the granite industry and country life.

The Raimbilli Cousins

A special part of Gayleen Aiken's art was her imaginary family. She called them the Raimbilli Cousins. These characters appeared in many of her artworks. They helped connect all her different themes and stories.

Achievements and Recognition

Gayleen Aiken received several awards for her art. In 1987, she got a fellowship from the Vermont Council on the Arts. A fellowship is like a special grant for artists.

In 1997, a book about her art was released. It was called Moonlight and Music: The Enchanted World of Gayleen Aiken. The famous publisher Harry B. Abrams, Inc. created it. The novelist Rachel Klein helped with the book.

Her artwork was also featured in many well-known magazines and newspapers. These included The New York Times, Raw Vision, and The Boston Globe. Her art also appeared in Smithsonian and Folk Art Magazine.

Where to See Her Art

Gayleen Aiken's art is in many important museums. You can find her works in the permanent collections of:

• The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
• The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in Williamsburg, Virginia.
• The American Folk Art Museum in New York, New York.
• The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Her art has also been shown in many special exhibits. These include shows at the Lincoln Center Gallery and the American Visionary Art Museum. In 2002, the Vermont Granite Museum had a show called Works by Gayleen Aiken. She even had her own show of about 30 paintings in New York City in 1987.

After she passed away, her art continued to be shown. In 2007, an exhibit called Our Yard in the Future: The Art of Gayleen Aiken opened in New York City. She was also featured in the 2013 Outsider Art Fair. This fair celebrates art made by self-taught artists.