MARIPOSA – Unusual Art from Distant Places, was founded by Beate Echols in 1989. It specialize in works by mostly self-taught artists, both known and anonymous, predominantly from Latin America or of Latin American/Caribbean origin, but also from North America, Europe and elsewhere. Our collection includes folk art (paintings, sculptures, textiles, masks and puppets and more), art brut, visionary art and Latin American devotional art of Christian, African, indigenous and syncretic religions, from santos and nichos to Candomblé iron sculptures and Haitian and Santería art.

In 2005 we started exploring the riches and diversities of Cuban art, featuring works by artists living and working in Cuba today. This collection includes major works by internationally known contemporary and self-taught artists and also works by Cuban art brut creators - Havana based artists with mental disabilities.
 

Beate Echols has written and lectured on art from the Americas and self-taught artists since 1995, both in New York City and elsewhere.  She has been a lender to major museums for exhibitions of works by self-taught and visionary artists including the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, El Museo del Barrio in New York City, the San Antonio Museum of Art, and, most recently, the Bard Graduate Center Gallery in New York City. She worked on a number of curatorial projects. She was the sole curator of Saints, Sinners, Sacred Spaces - Devotional Art from Latin America at the Mandeville Gallery of Union College in Schenectady, NY in 2000, and Miracles in the Backlands - Aspects of Africa in Brazilian Ex-Voto Sculpture at the Art Galleries of Ramapo College in 2005. She has written articles for Raw Vision Magazine #20 and Raw Vision #47, the Folk Art Messenger (#61), and other publications. Other articles By Beate Echols are Miracles in the Backlands: Aspects of Africa in Brazilian Ex–Voto Sculpture  and Darcilio Lima – Artist, Prophet, Time Traveler