Martín Ramírez is renowned for his intricate drawings that depict themes of poverty, alienation, immigration, confinement, and memory. Born in Mexico and immigrating to the U.S. in 1925 searching for work, Ramírez ended up spending much of his life at psychiatric institutions due to a manic-depressive diagnosis. Although he rarely spoke, he managed to communicate deep emotion through his works. One such masterpiece, "Untitled (Man at Desk)", features skillfully designed arches and niches with cowboys, Madonnas and other symbols richly drawn into the composition.

Bill Traylor, born into slavery and illiterate for his entire life, worked the Traylor plantation in Benton, Alabama for over 70 years before finding a job at a Montgomery shoe factory. Forced to retire due to rheumatism, he spent nights in a back room at a funeral parlor and days at Lawrence Street creating art with discarded materials. Over the span of three years, he created 1,200-1,500 works including self-taught attempts to write his name. His works can now be found in the collections of renowned institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art New York City, The High Museum of Art Atlanta and more.

Clementine Hunter, a renowned Louisiana artist, was born in the Hidden Hill Plantation and worked for almost 75 years at Melrose Plantation. She found her passion late in life with discarded paints and brushes from a visitor, using an old window shade as her canvas. Known to be the first African-American to exhibit in the New Orleans Museum of Art, Hunter's work can now be found in prominent institutions such as The American Folk Art Museum, The National Gallery of Art Washington and The High Museum of Art Atlanta.

Eileen Doman, an esthetician from Illinois, discovered her passion for art through the use of family photographs to create paintings. Her works quickly gained critical attention and Doman has since been featured in numerous exhibitions across the US. Her work can be found in notable collections such as The Whitney Museum of American Art and The Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts.

Thornton Dial, a self-taught Alabama artist, developed a unique style through his extensive body of work created over decades. Primarily working with metal during his early stages, Dial explored various mediums from drawings and paintings to plywood, canvas and plastics as he found ways to recycle materials. His art speaks on personal experiences as well as broad philosophical topics with one of his most famous quotes being "If my art don't rub off on somebody, it ain't art". His work is widely recognized and exhibited in collections in prominent institutions such as The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, The Smithsonian American Art Museum Washington DC and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Purvis Young was a self-taught artist from Miami who painted and created murals of his hometown life. His art was made on found materials like discarded doors, manila folders, cardboard and orange crates. His work can be found in The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, HIgh Museum of Art Atlanta and The Museum of FIne Arts Houston.