Queen Brooks
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Queen Brooks (born 1943) is an artist from Columbus, Ohio, best known for her distinctive, brightly painted, wood-burned pieces. Brooks has been described by
The Columbus Dispatch ''The Columbus Dispatch'' is a daily newspaper based in Columbus, Ohio. Its first issue was published on July 1, 1871, and it has been the only mainstream daily newspaper in the city since ''The Columbus Citizen-Journal'' ceased publication in ...
as "one of Ohio’s best-known African-American artists," and by
Columbus Museum of Art The Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Formed in 1878 as the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts (its name until 1978), it was the first art museum to register its charter with the state of Ohio. The museum collec ...
director Nannette Maciejunes as "a leading arts elder in our community." Brooks is an influential mentor of many younger artists, including psycheñwelic painter
April Sunami April Sunami is a mixed-media artist based in Columbus, Ohio. Her work has been exhibited in museums, galleries and private collections across the United States, and in both Ghana and Cuba, and is represented in the permanent collections of the ...
. She is a past winner of the Lila Wallace, Reader's Digest International Artist Award, which gave her a fellowship in Abidjan, the capital of the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire. In 2012, the organization known as The HistoryMakers conducted an oral interview with Queen Brooks for its African-American video oral history collection, which aims to cultivate "a more inclusive record of American history."


Early life and education

Brooks was nurtured as an artist by a tight-knit group of influential black Columbus-area artists, which included Bill Agnew, nationally famed woodcarver Elijah Pierce, outsider artist "Grandpa Smoky" Brown, MacArthur Fellow Aminah Robinson, and Brooks' own personal mentors, photographer Kojo Kamau, and mixed-media artist Barbara Chavous. She began her arts career teaching arts and crafts at the J. Ashburn Jr. Youth Center in 1980, which is where she first encountered
pyrography Pyrography or pyrogravure is the free handed art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a Fireplace poker, poker. It is also known as pokerwork or wood burning. ...
(wood-burning). After receiving her MFA at
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
, she completed a residency in
Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N'ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the largest city and the former capital of Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of the overall population ...
,
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
,
West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
as the recipient of the 1993 Lila Wallace,
Reader’s Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...
International Artist Award.


Appointments

*
Otterbein University Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio, United States. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Brethren founder, Philip William Otterbein. It has been as ...
- Adjunct Professor, Art, 1995 - 2002 *
Ohio Dominican University Ohio Dominican University is a private Dominican university in Columbus, Ohio. In 2024, the university had 1,252 students and offered undergraduate degrees in 42 majors as well as 9 graduate degree programs. History The College of St. Mary ...
- Adjunct Professor, Art, 2002 - 2006 *
Greater Columbus Arts Council The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) is an arts organization in Columbus, Ohio. The council funds artists and organizations in Central Ohio, and hosts the annual Columbus Arts Festival. Building The Greater Columbus Arts Council office is the ...
- Art in the House, Lead Artist, 2008–present


Exhibitions and collections

Brooks is represented in the permanent collections of the Columbus Museum of Art, the
William H. Thomas Gallery The William H. Thomas Gallery, affectionately known as "The Gallery in the Hood," is one of the oldest, continuously operated, black-owned, independent art galleries in the United States. It is located in Olde Towne East, Columbus, Ohio. It was o ...
, the Martin de Porres Center, the
National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center is a museum located in Wilberforce, Ohio, whose mission is to chronicle through its collections and programs the rich and varied experiences of African Americans from their African origins to ...
in
Wilberforce, Ohio Wilberforce is a census-designated place (CDP) in Greene County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,410 at the 2020 census. History After Wilberforce University was established in 1856, the community was also named for the English stat ...
, and Ohio Dominican and Otterbein Universities, and the King Arts Complex, as well as in private collections across the United States and in the
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
. Her work is currently on display at the Southern Ohio Museum. She has also created painted and sculptural wood works for public spaces, including the portal entrance for the Kwanzaa Playground in Columbus, Ohio, and a mural for Krumm Park, also in Columbus. In 2020, the Southern Ohio Museum featured the work of Queen Brooks in an exhibit.


Awards and honors

* Lila Wallace,
Reader’s Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...
International Artist Award - 1993 * Ohioana Career Award, 2008 * South Side Settlement Arts Freedom Award, 2004 * Arts Midwest
National Endowment of the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...
Award, 1994 * Excellence in the Arts Award, The Ohio State University


Public artwork

Brooks' public artworks include the portal entrance for the Kwanzaa Playground, Ohio’s first Afrocentric playground, and murals at Columbus’ Krumm park area, Indianola K-8 School, and
Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (abbrevriated OWU) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Ohio Valley, Centra ...
's Ross Art Museum.


Bibliography

Brooks' work has been featured in
Essence Magazine ''Essence'' (stylized in all caps) is an American monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, the magazine is written for African-American women. History Edward Lewis, Clarence O ...
and the International Review of African American Art.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Queen 1943 births African-American women artists African-American painters Artists from Columbus, Ohio Living people 21st-century African-American artists 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American women