Grassroots art (sometimes referred to as "outsider art") has been variously described as "eccentric," "unschooled," "self-taught," "primitive," and "raw." Such art is characterized by the use of common, unconventional, or castoff materials; hodge-podge styles; ambitious scale; whimsical expression; and a creative impulse concerned more with the artist's own pleasure than with critical reception of the work itself.

Written by members of the Kansas Grassroots Art Association - the oldest organization in the country dedicated to preserving such sites - Backyard Visionaries describes the authors' personal experiences of the artists and their work as well as the artists' cultural contexts and influences. More than 150 photographs, many in color, capture the unusual creations of this fascinating group of artists, and a chapter on preservation tells how we can help maintain the sites.