The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts holds a significant collection of self-taught art, with a strong focus on artists from Alabama and the broader Southeastern United States. In the 20th century, a new kind of American artist emerged who created not from formal training, but from an innate, primal urge to make art. These artists, many of whom did not even consider themselves “artists,” produced deeply personal and highly original works. Working outside the boundaries of academic art and conventional subject matter, these artists forged their own paths. Known as Self-Taught Art, the work is often raw, symbolic, and emotionally resonant, offering fresh perspectives and powerful visual narratives.

These creators often drew inspiration from their immediate surroundings, daily routines, rural life, animals, and the natural world, transforming everyday experiences into extraordinary visual narratives. This exhibition highlights the enduring influence of animals in the work of self-taught artists. Whether symbolic, spiritual, or simply familiar, animals appear as powerful figures throughout these pieces that reveal the deep connections between artist, environment, and imagination.