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Biography
Monica J. Brown received a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, CA. Her artwork has been
displayed at the National Black Arts Festival (Atlanta), M. Hanks Gallery in Santa Monica, California; and the
Indianapolis Art Center. She has also exhibited widely throughout Chicago, including the DuSable Museum of
African American History, the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago State University, the University of Illinois
at Chicago, and the Hyde Park Art Center.
She has worked as a volunteer artist mentor with the Hubbard Street Mural Project, for which she designed and
created two murals; and has led art workshops at ArtScape Chicago, and through Integrity: Arts & Culture Association.
Her artwork was published in Woman Made Gallery’s Her Mark: a journal of art + poetry 2009; and is in the collections
of Harold Washington College, and the Lillian E. Smith Center for Creative Arts. She has been the recipient of the
Illinois Arts Council’s: Special Assistance Grant(s), and Individual Artist Support (IAS) Initiative Grant. She was also awarded the Harold Washington College, President’s Purchase Award, and an African-American Alliance Achievement Award. She has been in an artist-in-residence at The Lillian E. Smith Center for Creative Arts, and Ragdale.
Statement
I love trees: naked, budding, clothed in summer leaves, or in autumn’s royal raiment. The ‘tree’ literally embodies the cyclic nature of life as it transitions through the seasons. Much of my artwork is inspired by the beauty and mystery of nature. The ‘Naked Tree’ series is a celebration of the organic abstraction and asymmetry of limbs, branches, roots and veins.
One color that seems to bring itself to all of my paintings is a bright red/orange. This color has always stood out for me. There is something soothing, yet stimulating about it. Maple leaves in autumn wear this color. It is the color that can be seen while looking at the sun with your eyes closed. It brings to mind warmth and protection, the vibe of the womb. It is a blend of the first and second chakras. I have learned that my eyes need to see this color in order to keep me spiritually balanced, grounded, and creatively and aesthetically inspired.
I see faces everywhere:
cracks in the ceiling,
hiding in wood grain,
alongside cliff walls,
making their presence known in theinterweaving of tree branches, clouds, andmiscellaneous shadows. . . Could this be our Ancestors reminding us?
They are here.
The legacy of African-Americans is very rich: strength, spirit, wisdom, and perseverance. Though severed from our African roots and culture, we remain connected by the blood that runs through our veins. The “Ancestors” paintings are
a colorful homage to those that have gone before and helped to pave the way for future generations.
Selected Exhibitions
2011
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Regional Finale, Gallery Guichard, Chicago, IL
Rising Stars, DuSable Musuem of African American History, Chicago, IL
Art di Gras, VI, Gallery Guichard, Chicago, IL
She Be Me, II, Virgil H. Carr Cultural Arts Center, Detroit, MI
The Arts League of Michigan's Black History Month Exhibition, Farmington Hills Library, MI
2010
Black Creativity, Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago, IL
Integrity: Arts & Culture Association’s Black History Month Exhibit, Reher Gallery, Moline, IL
2009
Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival, Temp Gallery, Chicago, IL
NOW: A Celebration of Feminist Art, EP Theater, Chicago, IL
Venus Envy, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
Integrity: Arts & Culture Association’s Black History Month Exhibit, Reher Gallery, Moline, IL
2008
Soul of a Woman, Black Harvest Film Festival, Gene Siskel Center, Chicago
Her Mark 2009, publication and exhibition, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Black Creativity, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL
Black History Month Exhibit, Reher Gallery, Moline Public Library, Moline, IL
2007
Venus Envy, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
The Cycle and the Search, solo exhibition, Visiting Artists Series, African-American Cultural Center, Univ.of IL at Chicago
2006
Falling Leaves, Presidents’ Gallery, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL
From There to Here, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Spiritual and Cultural Arts Connection's Black History Month Exhibit, Reher Gallery, Moline, IL
2005
Chicago Artists Month: Hubbard Street Mural Project, Feather Building, Chicago, IL
Women of the African Diaspora, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Paper Cuts, Acme Art Works, Chicago, IL
Soul of a Woman, South Shore Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Hot Images for Cold Times, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL
2004
Spiritual & Cultural Arts Connection Exhibit, Reher Art Gallery, Moline, IL
The Hormone Show, Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, Grand Marais, MN
Hubbard Street Mural Project, Hubbard/Racine, Chicago, IL
2003
Hubbard Street Mural Project, Hubbard/Racine, Chicago, IL
Around the Coyote, Acme Art Works, Chicago, IL
Making our Mark, Christopher Gallery, Prairie State College, Chicago Heights, IL
2002
Wish You Were Here, Wood Street Gallery, Chicago, IL
Black Creativitiy 2002, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL
2000
Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center Exhibition, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL
Woman Made Members' Exhibition, Gourmand Gallery, Chicago, IL
1998
Potluck, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
Black Creativity 1998, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL
The Way of the Goddess, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
1997
Xposzur '97, Makaar Studios, Chicago, IL
1996
Halcyone Productions: Women's History Month Celebration, Chicago Historical Society, Chicago, IL
1995
Emerging Artists II, M. Hanks Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1994
Freedom Rag, magazine, Cover art, Fall Edition
Tree of Life, Second Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL
African-American Arts Exhibition, Norris University Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Feminine Visions: Black Women's Perspectives, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
A Celebration of Poetry, Art and Music, Serengeti Cafe, Chicago, IL
1993
Without a Vision, Triple B Productions, Backdrop design, Kewanee, IL
1992
Black Artists Expo, Los Angeles, CA
Web site designed & hosted by Monica J. Brown (c) 2009 at Homestead. All rights reserved.
