Artist of Color Archives - IndyArtsGuide.org

Nathasa Rae Anderson

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Native American/Indigenous; Visual Arts: Illustration, Painting, Works on paper

Hello! I’m Nathasa Rae (pronounced Natasha). I am a hand-drawn neo pop realism ink illustrator and watercolorist. I create mighty fierce warrior women who embrace their inner strength and beauty. These warrior queens are created to empower others to embody their own power and stunning grace. For the little warriors and animal lovers, I create eye-catching animal artwork that makes a beautiful addition to any home. When I decided to pursue as passion and a career, My business started during the journey of self love and acceptance. During a time of combating self doubt and harshness I created warriors to heal. In the midst of all of this it dawned on me that I may not be the only one who needed this message. So in my small apartment I started creating illustrations and watercolors to encourage and inspire others to embrace their true spirit. My mother taught me how to draw and she is still the person I turn to when I have trouble with my art; my brother also is a great resource. My background in formal training includes traditional drawing, graphic design and pre-production animation. Once I turned 18 I began to have mystery medical issues; this lead to years of physical pain and mental struggles. I turned to art and my faith to cope. In fact, it was in the midst of all of this that I sketched my first warrior. A reminder to myself of the strength and grace other women in my family possess in tough times. This is why I believe in the healing power of art. I have used art to navigate through the storms and the sunny days. So I create art to help others bravely sail through their storms as well.

Jonathan Angulo

Artist of Color; Hispanic/Latino/a/x; Visual Arts: Mixed Media, Painting

Jonathan Angulo was born in Izucar De Matamoros, Puebla, Mexico on December 17, 1988. Immigrated to the United States, from Los Ángeles, New York to now based out of Indianapolis Indiana. Has always had an interest in the arts since a child, being exposed to graffiti and other forms of art. Graduated from Herron School of Art and Design. Working with a mix of mediums mainly oil and spray paint. Jonathan has been influenced greatly by his Mexican heritage as well as from other cultures. Graffiti plays a big role in his work as well. He has shown work at the Big Car Service Center show Called Herencia, as a part of group shows and worked on murals in Indianapolis. Jonathan’s focus has been the idea of death through Dia de Los Muertos. Death not not being something that is sad but something that is celebrated and just another phase of life. Experiences, meeting people and cultures along with own cultural background influences provide him with a rich set of references and imagery that he uses to create his work. Experiences of meeting people and learning about different cultures have provided him with new perspectives and insights that he can incorporate into his work.

Junonia Arts

Artist of Color; Asian/Asian American; Visual Arts: Illustration, Mixed Media, Works on paper; collage

Shelley Hanmo Qian (last name pronounced as “Chan”) is a US-based freelance illustrator specialized in creating collage art for children’s books, editorial designs and more. Born and raised in China, Shelley moved to the United States for school when she was 18. She graduated from Indiana University with a Doctor in Music and a master’s degree in arts administration and earned her name as an award-winning pianist. In parallel to Shelley’s academic and musical accomplishments, paper art has been her creative outlet for many years. In 2019, Shelley decided to pursue her passion in illustration, hence she launched her art studio Junonia Arts to share her works with the world. Her art often features animals in nature, diverse characters, cultural stories, and imaginative plays, using mostly repurposed paper materials such as magazine pages, shopping bags, mailing catalogs, wrapping paper, etc. Through Junonia Arts, Shelley hopes to promote the awareness of reusing and upcycling while bringing joy to many others through her storytelling illustrations. Shelley has worked with clients throughout the US, including Mighty Kind Magazine, Truly Co Magazines, United We Dream, Indianapolis Zoo, Brooklyn Art Library, Surf Shack Puzzles, Kurandza, etc. She is an active member of SCBWI, Directory of Illustration (DI), and Illustrators For Hire (IFH).

Bashiri Asad

Artist of Color; Performing Arts: Music, Spoken Word, Vocal

Acknowledging that each of us has a priceless gift that we must harness and share with the world, Bashiri Asad has come to define his sound as “IndySoul”. Bashiri Asad is the “Everyday Soul Singer,” and he will remind you that feeling what you feel, in your soul, is just fine. “IndySoul” is his passion, and he exudes this with every song!

Kaila Austin

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Literary Arts; Portrait; Visual Arts: Mixed Media, Murals, Painting, Portrait, Visual Arts Instructor, Works on paper

Kaila Austin is a painter and mixed media artist based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. She has been a participant in Murals for Racial Justice with the Arts Council of Indianapolis and has been interviewed for several magazines emphasizing Black arts and culture across the United States. Currently, she has a painting studio located at 201 Studios, where she also works as a bookbinder and printmaker. Austin works primarily in mixed media portraiture, focusing on the ways in which the arts can humanize Blackness after centuries of visual culture that has been subversive and noxious. Working traditionally in oil portraits, she has spent the last year expanding her work into mixed media loosen the rigidity tied to classical notions of what art is supposed to be. She primarily uses community members from around Indianapolis as the subject of her work, seeking to elevate everyday people and common people to the grandeur of historical narrative paintings.

Asiah Avery

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Multiracial; Visual Arts: Ceramics, Graphic Arts, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Visual Arts Instructor, Works on paper

I’m Asiah Avery, an art teacher and multi media artist located in Indianapolis, Indiana. I do not limit myself to one medium, but like to experiment with them all. I have found ceramics and digital photography to bring me most joy, yet, I still enjoy discovering what I can create with other mediums.

Slim Avre

Artist of Color; Visual Arts: Earthworks, Murals, Painting

As an Environmental Artist whose life’s goal is to create Health & Pollution consciousness, visual art is her tool used to help the vision & build communities. Recognizing Art as an intellect for education & development is the key to creating a better world of our own. Focusing only on what beings need to live & love life.

Tasha Beckwith

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Ethnic Art; Graphic Arts; Portrait; Visual Arts: Graphic Arts, Illustration, Mixed Media, Murals, Painting

Tasha Beckwith is an Indianapolis-based visual artist. She studied painting and drawing at the Herron School of Art & Design, IUPUI, but honed her skills in graphic design and digital art on her own. Her portrait-based work combines expressionism, realism, and surrealism and she cites science fiction, fantasy, and Afrocentric themes as her inspirations. Recent work includes billboards encouraging participation in the 2020 census, participation in an artistic campaign encouraging people to #MaskUpIndy, and the neighborhood history mural inside the brand-new Martindale-Brightwood branch of the Indianapolis Public Library. Beckwith works in a variety of media including digital design, oil painting, and resin.

Phyllis Viola Boyd

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Visual Arts: Mixed Media, Murals, Painting

Interdisciplinary and mixed-media artist exploring connectedness and healing from the scale of the community to that of the individual.

Justin Brown

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Ethnic Art; Graphic Arts; Literary Arts; Media; Multi Arts; Performing Arts: Radio/Television, Spoken Word; Political Artist; Visual Arts: Architectural Illustration, Conservation/Restoration, Constructions/Collage, Earthworks, Film, Media and Visual Communications, Mixed Media, Murals, New Media/Technology, Painting, Performance Art, Performers and Writers, Printmaking, Textiles, Visual Arts Instructor, Works on paper

Justin Brown is a multidiscipline contemporary artist and curator. He is a native Hoosier and Cathedral graduate. Justin was an original founder and curator of Future Friends Holographic Magic Club in Fountain Square, IN. He is the founder and executive director of Hoy Polloy Art Gallery at 3125 E. 10th St, Indianapolis, IN. Justin was also the curator and director of Re:Public; a partnership between Indianapolis Contemporary and Hoy Polloy, which closed in April 2020 with the closing of Indianapolis. His visual work focuses primarily on federal and private surveillance data analytics, public and private scientific institutional research, federal and municipal law enforcement investigations, congressional investigation committees, historical documentarian texts, forced perspective, cognitive dissonance, and color theory.

Lorenzo Bryant

Artist of Color; Black/African American

My name is Lorenzo Bryant, and I am a self-taught artist. After serving nine years in prison, I came to the conclusion that I didn’t serve the time, time served me. I was able to channel my creative ability and find my passion in being an Artist/Painter. The creative process from sketching the image to painting those fine details is true meditation for me. I hope you too can find joy within my work.

Phyllicia Carr

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Ethnic Art; Multi Arts; Portrait

Phyllicia Carr is a multidisciplinary artist from Indianapolis, IN and is known for expressing herself through visual art, graphic design, and photography. Her colorful figurative portraits are inspired from vivid dreams, dialogue, research, and deep introspective revelation. Her work encompasses realism and surrealism mixed with abstract elements while highlighting her subjects with nature. Phyllicia uses her intuition as a guide to explore and communicate the importance of empowerment, love, beauty, vulnerability, and healing for the African American community. She received her B.A. in Communication from North Carolina A&T State University. Her work has been featured in cities across the United States in Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles. Her recent work was exhibited at Indy’s Meet The Artist, WACO Theater Center’s Wearable Art Gala founded by Richard Lawson & Tina Knowles Lawson, and was a top 4 finalist in the Finishline x Puma sponsored shoe design competition powered by Pattern Magazine and Martk’d.

Rosaura Cazares Juan

Artist of Color; Hispanic/Latino/a/x; Visual Arts: Mixed Media, Painting, Works on paper; Oil paint, collage, and color pencil

Rosaura Cazares Juan was born in Veracruz, Mexico and has lived in the city of Indianapolis. She is currently pursuing her Bachelors of art in education at Marian University. Works with various mediums but mainly focuses on the two dimensional spectrum. Cazares is working closely with the Indiana Latino Institute to educate, advocate, and inspire young Latinos. She aspires to represent her Latino culture in the education field while promoting the arts in the youth in the community.

Matthew Cooper

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Visual Arts: Mixed Media, Murals, Painting, Visual Arts Instructor

Matthew Cooper is an emerging visual artist from Indianapolis, Indiana. His paintings often feature a variety of media including acrylic paint, oil paint, oil stick and found objects. His often narrative work speaks to the beauty of the African and African-American people and culture through a dreamlike reality using the human anatomy to recreate a story telling narrative of courageous and resilient history. Matthew Cooper is the Arts Council Art & Soul 2021 Featured Visual Artist.

Deonna Craig

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Ethnic Art; Political Artist; Visual Arts: Constructions/Collage, Functional and/or Decorative, Murals, Painting, Visual Arts Instructor

Deonna Craig is an Indianapolis based visual artist and the owner of Art by Deonna. She graduated from Cathedral High School and DePauw University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Sociology. Her eclectic spirit led her down various career paths from production assistant for the Jerry Springer talk show to Insurance. After spending 15 years in Corporate America, Deonna’s creativity and love for adventure caused her to pursue art full-time. As an entrepreneur, Deonna is able to pursue her passions of community building, teaching, public speaking, and visual art. She also serves as a mentor, a dance instructor, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Taylor Davis

Artist of Color; Performing Arts: Music

My name is Taylor DeShawn, an R&B singer-songwriter from Indianapolis, IN. My background in music began as a young girl singing at the church I grew up in. I’ve been singing ever since. My experience includes singing in choirs, musicals, vocal ensembles, and much more.

D. Del Reverda-Jennings

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Ethnic Art; Graphic Arts; Literary Arts; Media; Multi Arts; Performing Arts: Spoken Word; Political Artist; Visual Arts: Ceramics, Constructions/Collage, Crafts, Film, Functional and/or Decorative, Glasswork, Graphic Arts, Illustration, Jewelry, Media and Visual Communications, Mixed Media, Murals, Painting, Performance Art, Performers and Writers, Photography, Portrait, Printmaking, Sculpture, Textiles, Visual Arts Instructor, Works on paper; Afro Futurism (AfroFuturism), African & Latin Diaspora, Caribbean,

A native of Alaska, as a youth D. Del Reverda-Jennings resided in Chicago, Illinois., and was educated in parochial academy institutions. From that timeline, the Indianapolis-based interdisciplinary artist has since traveled a creative and an artistic journey influenced by a kaleidoscope of cultural nuance. Visually D. Del Reverda-Jennings, is known for producing a broad range of work inclusive of sculpture, mixed media, installation, painting, and interdisciplinary roles in the artworld as an award-winning published journalist, arts editor, author and poet. She is the Creator, Founder and Independent Curator of “FLAVA FRESH ! ” an Indianapolis based, Annual Juried, Multiple Exhibition Presentation Series of Contemporary Art. The multicultural series has been an acclaimed visual arts showcase for over twenty-three years, with the seven month long consecutive event venue having received a number of honors and awards. The versatile arts practitioner also works as an administrator, facilitator and free-lances in a number of arts disciplines throughout the Midwest and beyond. As a journalist, regional arts editor and author Del Reverda-Jennings has for over two decades researched, sought out and cultivated aspiring beginners, newly-discovered, emergent and early-career artists who reside and work in Indiana as well as regionally to expose their creativity through writing, photographic documentation and by exhibiting their work in professional commercial arts venues, exposing their creative life stories, events and achievements in Midwestern regional, national and international print and online media. D. Del Reverda-Jennings, has been involved long-term in grass roots arts efforts, the non-profit sector and community service in Indianapolis and is the founder of several groups and organizations. The invested activist and cultural worker is a regional arts grant panelist, adjudicator, a noted lecturer and is currently an Artist Ambassador for the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), and an Equity Ambassador for the Arts Council of Indianapolis. She is widely known for having acquired a well-earned reputation as being driven and making great things happen for underrepresented and/or marginalized artists and continues to be a vital force in the exhibition and scholarship of twenty-first century art.

Jai Denise

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Graphic Arts; Media; Multiracial; Native American/Indigenous; Performing Arts: Actor/Actress, Dance, Music, Radio/Television, Spoken Word, Storytelling, Vocal; Visual Arts: Graphic Arts, Performance Art, Performers and Writers, Photography

Meet our versatile pop music artist who is a master of many trades! With her two inspiring children’s books, stunning modeling portfolio, captivating movie roles, and impressive photography skills, she is a true Renaissance woman. But her true passion lies in her music production, holding a degree in the field. With her goal of spreading positivity through her lyrics and melodies, you will not only love her as an artist but also as a positive influence in your life.

Tony Di Palmo

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Ethnic Art; Media; Performing Arts: Music

DJ Tony D has been mixing music as early as 2011. From a young age he realized that funk was his main style. Whether it was funky 90’s hip-hop beats or old school boogie and disco music, DJ Tony D loves all funk and soul music. But that doesn’t stop there, DJ Tony D also loves music as early as 50’s, so if you love to swing dance then he has you covered. With all this said, DJ Tony D is not limited to modern era music from 2020 to beyond. If you need a DJ for a private event around Indianapolis or beyond, visit our website https://www.indianapolisdj.com

Deangelo Douglas

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Visual Arts: Illustration, Painting, Sculpture

Hello World, In my little corner of the web, Deangelo Douglas art represents the weird void in my brain that processes the reality in front of me. I have a deep appreciation for the ’80s and early 2000’s late-night anime. My other passion outside of art is hiking. I hope to hike all of the Nationals parks by the time I’m 35.

Mirvia Sol Eckert

Artist of Color; Visual Arts: Painting

Mirvia Sol Eckert was born in Corozal, Puerto Rico. She lives and works as a full-time painter in Indianapolis, Indiana. The most common themes in her paintings are her Puerto Rican heritage, her culture, family and friends, spirituality, and love of nature. These ideas can manifest themselves in bright, vibrantly colored compositions, or in dramatic grayscale pieces. She paints because it is absolutely the most satisfying way to express herself. It’s the one thing she truly feels she has the most control over. Being in her “art bubble” helps focus her energy and becomes her escape. Mirvia Sol’s works are a physical representation of the way she sees the things that are important to her. Among the many things she is proud of one of them was having received the prestigious “Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship Grant” of the Arts Council of Indianapolis in, for the year 2020/21. In June of 2020 Mirvia was one out of six local artists to be selected by Arts Council and Mayor Hogsett as part of a city-wide, COVID-19 public health campaign, the artists created original artworks, poster, and signs around the city of Indianapolis to encourage people to wear face coverings. She was also interviewed by StyleIndy and WTHR Cannel 13. Mirvia has a lot more to create and she is looking forward to whatever life has in store for her in the art world.

Bryce Eckles

Artist of Color; Visual Arts: Sculpture

I am Bryce Eckles. I am a wire a sculptor that lives in Shelbyville. I was originally born in Florida, but grew in Indiana.

Rebecca Entrican

Artist of Color; Visual Arts: Illustration, Painting

Rebecca Entrican is a 21-year-old, Chinese American painter and illustrator, based in Indy. She received her BFA in Painting from Herron School of Art & Design with High Distinction in 2021.

Andreina Espinosa de los Monteros

Artist of Color; Ethnic Art; Multi Arts; Visual Arts: Ceramics, Crafts, Film, Painting, Performance Art, Performers and Writers, Photography, Sculpture, Textiles

With influences from her South American culture and experiences of being an immigrant, Andi is able to capture two cultures from the Latino world to American world. With many remarks of contemporary art, her style leaves much to the imagination, brings a lot of contemplation, and creates a narrative behind every piece with a connection to its name. There are a lot of conceptual influences in the pieces that are not representational.

Frederic and Ronza

Artist of Color

Soul music is at the core of the sound and style of Indianapolis based duo Frederic and Ronza (Keith and Leslie Bean). Like the soul music of the past that was born out of a return to roots, honesty, emotion and expressiveness, Frederic and Ronza’s music was born from those same characteristics. Married in 2014, this soul duo writes and delivers music that is relatable, passionate and authentic. Powerful vocals and strong harmonies accompanied by electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard and drums are at the heart of the compelling musical arrangements.

Pope Gaskine

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Ethnic Art; Media; Performing Arts: Music; Visual Arts: Jewelry, Media and Visual Communications

In Billy’s work He pulls from the known 3D physical aspects of our world and combine them with the metaphysical astral world around us. He accredits his creativity to synesthesia and growing up on Indianapolis’s Eastside 46218. More on PopeBilly.com

Johanna Gianforte

Artist of Color; Visual Arts: Murals, Painting, Visual Arts Instructor

Central Indiana based visual artist of Puerto Rican descent. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, my family moved to East Chicago, Indiana in 1998. I graduated from Ball State University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. I have been teaching in K-12 public education for the past 10 years, three of which were in Washington State.

Kenneth Hamilton

Artist of Color; Visual Arts: Painting, Works on paper; Acrylic and chalk

Kenneth Hamilton Jr, a husband and father of two was born and raised in Indianapolis, In. He attended Broad Ripple High School where his love for art began. He further developed his craft at Vincennes University and Heron Art School, studying Graphic Arts. I prefer abstract art themes through black and white chalk on paper as well as acrylic paint on canvas.

Angelita Hampton

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Literary Arts; Political Artist; Visual Arts: Crafts, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Visual Arts Instructor, Works on paper

My main creative work is as a mixed media artist. In the styles of contemporary expressionism or surrealism, I primarily treat subjects of social justice, employing imagery and text, while combining digital paint with hand drawn paper sketches, photography, watercolors, and collage. I enjoy the process of creation through experimentation and layering, and prefer producing prints created as a series of the same base image, reimagined in a variety of expressions, as part of an examination of the concepts of wholeness and separateness. I create art designed to challenge perceptions of race, gender, sexuality and social status through black portraiture and female figure in conjunction with popular images and ideology from American history and Black culture. A large portion of my work is created as public art, which I describe as being in a style of protest posters, designed with the intended effect of empowerment and the issue of a call to action. I often use traditional colors of American red, white, and blue, juxtaposed with images of brown and black people and images of social injustice. I also create using warm and rich earth tones with bright yellow and orange accents, as well as art with vibrant pinks, blues and greens.

Makayla Harrison

Artist of Color; Black/African American; Ethnic Art; Multi Arts; Visual Arts: Media and Visual Communications, Mixed Media, New Media/Technology, Painting

As an art-technologist I use art & technology to create content and immersive technology about entrepreneurship, cultural value, self-discovery & renewable-sustainable technology & lifestyle through virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality & integrated LEDs. My interest in spatial computing started from painting. My previous background is painting and still is. As a painter I paint the universe in all of my paintings. The universe represents an expanding of the unknown or massive amount of potential that we just don’t have access to yet. This narrative could also be said about humanity and people. We all have unknown potential that we are not aware of and have not tapped into to access. Our genius within us. From painting the universe, I also understood that “Creation Is When Art & Science Meet” the slogan of ArtisScience22 an art & technology platform I created. The scientific process is birth through imagination and creativity to solve problems. To sustain creativity, one must use science. At this point, I took online classes to become an electrical engineer and creating the hardware lead me to a more creative process through expression of technology called virtual reality or spatial computing. All of my paintings, software, and hardware are engineered to create value and equity around the black experience to enhance the potential of humanity.

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