Traveling has been my life and work. It is the magic sparks my imagination and stirs my soul. I grew up in a family of world travelers hearing stories around the table and having foreign guests always at our home. For over 30 years I have traveled the United States working first as a folklorist and later a folk and outsider art dealer. For years I drove the back roads of the Midwest, South and Southwest searching for folk artists and exploring the cultural and physical landscape of this country. In the last 10 years I returned to traveling internationally to third world countries.

Founded in 1991,the Pardee Collection grew from more than three decades of travel throughout the United States and internationally in search of unknown self-taught and outsider artists working beyond the mainstream art world. The gallery focuses on authentic folk and outsider art, guided by personal vision rather than academic training. Most artists are represented exclusively, with the collection built through firsthand discovery, long-term relationships, and a deep commitment to authenticity, integrity, and curatorial care.