The release of Elisa Huberman's children's book 'The Blue Bat Dance' on Amazon KDP underscores a significant trend in the publishing and art industries: the rising prominence of self-taught artists, many of whom come from neurologically different or marginalized backgrounds. Huberman, an artist based at Pure Vision Arts in New York City's Flatiron district, creates work that not only entertains but also champions themes of uniqueness and acceptance.
Her latest 32-page book, illustrated with watercolor and pen and ink, depicts blue bats dancing in moonlight. It joins her other creations featuring characters like the 'Upside Down Giraffe' and the 'Odd Duckling.' The book's wordless sequences are designed to engage young readers' imaginations. 'The Blue Bat Dance' is available for purchase at Amazon KDP and at local Bronx galleries including Focal Point Gallery and Kaleidoscope Gallery on City Island.
Huberman's artistic home, Pure Vision Arts, is managed by Shield Institute and supports artists living with various challenges. The studio houses other noted artists such as Susan Brown and Walter Mika. This environment is part of a larger movement gaining momentum in New York City, where institutions are increasingly showcasing self-taught and outsider art.
Galleries like the Summertime Gallery in Williamsburg and the League's LAND gallery in Bedford-Stuyvesant regularly exhibit such work. The Autism Museum, which presented a Brooklyn exhibit in 2022 featuring artists on the spectrum, and the upcoming Outsider Art Fair in Manhattan signal growing institutional recognition. Huberman herself has a painting exhibited at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn.
The commercial availability of Huberman's book through major platforms like Amazon, coupled with gallery representation and planned audio adaptations, indicates a tangible market for art originating from neurodiverse creators. This development challenges traditional gatekeeping in publishing and fine art, suggesting a shift toward more inclusive industry practices. The success of artists like Huberman demonstrates that unique perspectives can find broad audiences, potentially encouraging more diverse storytelling in children's literature and beyond.
