Marian Spore Bush’s Wizard 1 Skyrockets at Slotin Folk Art Auction

At Slotin Folk Art’s Self-Taught Art Masterpieces auction, held November 8–9, 2025, a painting by Marian Spore Bush drew significant attention — and a dramatically higher price. Her work Wizard 1 sold for $35,000 (plus premium), marking the second time the piece has come to auction and a remarkable leap in value from its previous sale.

Above image: Wizard 1

The 20-by-24-inch oil on canvas first appeared a decade earlier at Slotin’s April 25–26, 2015 Self-Taught Art Masterpieces auction, where it was consigned directly from Bush’s family. At that time, it sold for $4,080 (price includes the 20% buyer’s premium.)

The sharp increase hopefully reflects a growing recognition of Bush’s distinctive art style and the rising demand for her work among collectors of self-taught and outsider art. Several of her paintings have resurfaced at auction in recent years, each achieving progressively stronger results. Even in 2015, when many of her works appeared on the market for the first time, prices exceeded expectations.

Bush, who often created variations of her compositions, painted a closely related piece titled Wizard 2, which is part of the Sindecuse Museum collection at the University of Michigan.

Above image: Wizard 2