BIO
Boxx the artist synthesizes interactive art through paintings, digital art, and installations. She is an Indianapolis based full-time visual artist practicing for approximately 5 years professionally, from Gary, Indiana. Boxx's visual artwork uses acrylic, digital, public installations, and film to capture different elements of life from the African diaspora celebrating Blackness.
Her art initiatives are to share interactive art and offer art that serves as a connector of community. Boxx has exhibited in a host of exhibits and installed different murals located throughout Indianapolis like the High Art Billboard Project, Murals for Racial Justice Project, and the Indy Art & Seek with a community interactive mural installation located at the Martindale-Brightwood Library.
She completed serving as an Artist Apprentice for the Bicentennial Major Taylor mural installation, installing a 5-story civic mural. Boxx has severed as Maker-In-Resident for the Ignite Studio at the East Hamilton Public Library in Fishers, Indiana; Artist and Curator for Cat Head Press Artist Residency, and was a 2021 Fellow for the Indiana Arts Commission, On Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator. Boxx was awarded the DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award for 2022, and recipient of the 2022 Power Plant Grant provided by Big Car Collaborative and the Andy Warhol Foundation for Arts to create an independent creative project. Boxx The Artist is a Certified Minority/ Woman Owned Business in the State of Indiana. Connect with Boxx the Artist on social media @boxxtheartist on all platforms.
ARTIST STATEMENT
“Paintings are but research and experiment - I search constantly and there is a logical sequence in all this research”. -Pablo Picasso.
Pursuing African-American Studies in college was the first time I was able to analyze my history through the African diaspora and Black experience. Prior, I only knew slavery, oppression, and the adversities of my history. Creating paintings became much like studying for me, where I examine Black history and culture researching subject matters to capture Blackness in positive spaces. Through acrylics, digital art, and film I highlight the pages in history where Black people were [are] worthy. Areas like African civilizations, the Black Renaissance era, Civil Rights era, to the evolution of modern day Black culture shapes my art practice where I create expressionistic portraits of dark-skinned subjects. My process incorporates the relationship of a dark past and dark-skin to radiate deeply pigmented skin, yet uncover the beauty in Black history. My choice of traditional acrylics and digital acrylic on canvas offers the dynamic combination to eloquently capture the light within dark hues.
ARTIST RESUME
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2023 Keep It 500, Gallery 924, Indianapolis Arts Council, Indianapolis, IN
2023 Hoosier Women in Art Exhibit, Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis, IN
2023-20 Legacy, Garfield Parks Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
2022 Tiny XI Exhibit, Gallery 924, Indianapolis Arts Council, Indianapolis, IN
2022-18 IBE Cultural Arts Pavilion, Art Exhibit, Indiana State Convention Center
2022 Afro-Futurism Exhibit, Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis, IN
2022 Hoosier Women in Art: Identity, Garfield Parks Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
2022 Cultural Connections, Garfield Parks Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
2021 Intersections, Hank & Dolly’s Gallery, Harrison Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
2021 Fabric of Society, Nickel Plate Arts, Noblesville, IN
2021 Child’s Play, Nickel Plate Arts, Noblesville, IN
2021 Wanderlust, Ignite Studio, Fishers, IN
2021 Power: Hoosier Women in Art Garfield Park Arts, Center, Indianapolis, IN
2020 Meet the Artist XXXII Exhibit, Indianapolis Central Public Library Gallery
2019 December Exhibit, Murphy Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN
2018 Spectrum, Art Exhibit, Garfield Park Arts
2017 Raw Indy, Old National Centre, Indianapolis, IN
2016 Gifted Exhibit, Custom’s Art Studio, Indianapolis,IN
JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2022-23 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibit, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL
2020 26th African American Art Exhibition, Roanne H. Victor Gallery at Actors Theatre, Louisville, KY
2019 Prized Possessions Juried Show, Nickel Plate Arts, Noblesville, IN
AWARDS/GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS (honors,scholarships, etc.)
2023 Hoosier Women Artist Award, Office of the Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indianapolis, IN
2022 Dehaan Artist of Distinction Award, Indianapolis Arts Council, Indianapolis, IN
2022 Honor Award in Public Art, ‘The Fastest’ Major Taylor Mural, Monumental Awards, Indianapolis, IN 2022 Power Plant Project Grant Recipient, Big Car Collaborative, Indianapolis
2021 Maker-In-Residence Juror, Serving on jury committee to select the next artist, Ignite Studio, Fishers, IN
2021 Grant recipient, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Round 2 for Visual Arts
2021 Grant recipient, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Artist Winter Ambassador for Visual Arts
2021 On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship, Indiana Arts Commission,
2021 On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, Indiana Arts Commission, 2020/2021 Cohort
2019 Indiana Arts Homecoming Scholarship Recipient, Indiana Historical Society
COMMISSIONS
2023 Welcome Race Fans Art, 24x36 digital acrylic on canvas, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
2022 Freddie Hubbard, Legends Music Poster Series, Old National Music Centre, Indianapolis, IN
2021 Roberts Blueprint, 48x60, acrylic , Hamilton County Community Foundation Collaboration Hub, Fishers, IN
2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute, 18x24, acrylic on canvas, Abstract Portrait Commission for Anderson University, Cultural Resource Center, Anderson, IN
ARTIST RESIDENCIES/APPRENTICESHIPS
2021 Apprenticeship, “Major Taylor Mural,” Bicentennial Legends Mural Installation, Indianapolis, IN
2021 Maker-in-Residence, Ignite Studio, Fishers, IN
2021 Artist & Curator in Resident, Cat Head Press: Printshop/Artist Cooperative, Indianapolis, IN
PROJECTS
2022 Public Art Activation, Community Garden Bed & Mural, Indiana Destination Development Corporation
2022 “ Seed Swap,” Perspective Playground, Permanent Mural Installation Exhibit, Indiana State Museum
2022 Habitat, Mural Installation, Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibit, Conner Prairie, Fishers, IN
2021 Indy Keeps Creating Storefront Window Mural, Circle City Mall, Indianapolis Arts Council
2021 28th USCT Dedication Mural, Hotel Tango, 640 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN (pending)
2021 Inclusion Mural, Garfield Park Arts Center, Community Mural Installation, Indianapolis, IN
2021 Swish Indy, March Madness Art Project, Vinyl Mural, Indianapolis International Airport
2021 High Art Billboard Project, Indianapolis Arts Council & Regan Outdoor Advertising, 6654 W. Washington St.
2020 Indy Art & Seek: Public Art Interventions- Public Art Installations, “Interactive Community Chalkboard Canvas/Mural”, 25th & Sherman, Indianapolis
2020 Racial Justice Mural, Arts Council of Indianapolis, 300 S. Meridian, Indianapolis, IN (Community Activism mural in downtown Indianapolis)
FILM
2023 The Women In Between: A Portrait Montage Project, Documentary, Non Fiction, Director/Producer, Indianapolis, IN
LIVE ART, INSTALLATIONS, & EVENTS (showcases & displayings)
2023 Spectacular Black Girl Art Show, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL
2019 Pattern Magazine Launch Party, Interactive Art Installation, Indianapolis, IN
2019 Pattern Magazine's Supply Trade Show, Art Exhibit, Indianapolis, IN
2019 Fishers Arts Crawl, Art Exhibit/Live Art, Fishers, IN
2019 Artitude, The Healer, Art Exhibit/ Live Body Painting, Indianapolis, IN
2018 Indianapolis Pride, Featured Artist
2019 The Black Experience, University of Wisconsin, Live Art/ Exhibit
EDUCATION
2013 Bachelors of Arts Mass Communication
Bachelors of Arts African American Studies
Minor: Political Science, College of Liberal Arts
Certificate of Entrepreneurship & Innovation,
Krannert School of Mgmt, Purdue University