Upon Gayleen Aiken’s death in 2005, a significant collection of historic paintings and handmade books were discovered in the artist’s home. Gayleen created two-dimensional works , life-size cardboard figures, and handmade books and diaries over a period of fifty-five years from 1950 to 2005.  These unique works are now part of The Gayleen Aiken Collection.

This Collection has attracted considerable interest from museums, curators, historians and artists. GRACE is currently engaged in cataloguing documenting and storing this work for its permanent and consigned collections.

"Gayleen Aiken’s feelings for these polarities were as intense as any in art, as vividly felt as in Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings, William Blake’s poems, or Franz Schubert’s songs.  Her books are  a ceaseless incantation to keep beloved things near and change at bay.  In the little world of art she could explore darkness because it was so easy for her, with the stroke of a pen to turn on the light.” 

  - Lyle Rexer, “The Telling Books of Gayleen Aiken”, Folk Art, 2007