Artist
June 13, 2018
A native Clevelander, Brown hails from a family that opened the first for-profit African American gallery in the country, Malcolm Brown Gallery in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1980. At a young age, Rhonda had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the artists the gallery represented including Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Hughie Lee-Smith, Selma Burke, Carolyn Mazloomi and many others.
Growing up with art all around inspired her to complete a bachelor of fine arts with a double major in painting and drawing and art history from The Ohio State University. Thereafter, she interned at the Cleveland Museum of Art during its 75th Anniversary year and then completed her master’s degree in art history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2005.
Brown’s expressive colorful paintings confront the viewer. Her abstracted human form, palette, and expressive lines communicate solemnity and boldness equally. Brown’s work appears in private collections throughout the country and has been featured in Samella Lewis’s International Review of African American Art, Oprah at Home Magazine exhibitions, and architectural interiors.
Portrait by Devina Yoestong
Artists in Public Schools (AiPS) makes art a vital part of public schools. Each donation fuels collaborations that inspire students and elevate artists, bringing diverse voices to the forefront of Chicago’s cultural landscape. All donations, no matter the amount, are greatly appreciated and help our organization make a lasting impact on the lives of artists, CPS students and faculty, and their communities.
