bio/cv
Biography
Lavett Ballard is an Artist, Art historian, Curator, and Author. She holds a dual Bachelor’s in Studio Art and Art History with a minor in Museum Studies from Rutgers University. She also has a MFA in Studio Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Her work has been include in notable collections and exhibited in museums, galleries, public and private institutions nationwide. Ballard has been nominated for a Pew Arts & Heritage funded Residency, in alliance with the African American Museum of Philadelphia. Ballards is listed as among the “Top 10 Emerging Black Female Artists” in Black Art in America. She also is a regional finalist for both New York & Philadelphia for the Bombay Artisan Emerging Artist competition. Her Art has had the honor of being included in literary, film, theater productions.
Lavett’s interest in themes of History, Colorism, Afro-futurism & feminine beauty, her art translates to visual narratives of people of African descent. Ballard’s work is a diverse collection of people of African descent in a historical context. She uses formal elements of paint, charcoal, oil pastel, and collage, and combines them with reclaimed items.
Ballard creates in the Philadelphia, PA area.
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Education:
2017 University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA- MFA Studio Art
2014 Rutgers Camden Double major BA-Studio Arts Painting & Art History
2011 Burlington County College, Mount Holly, NJ
- AFA in Studio & Arts Education
Select Solo Exhibitions:
2019 Noyes Museum Stockton University 'WoodStories'- Atlantic City NJ
2019 Art Sanctuary- 'Reclaiming Our Time'- Philadelphia, PA
2017 Cheney University 'Herstory'- Cheyney, PA
2016 African American Heritage Museum of South Jersey- ‘Musical Elements’ -Atlantic City, NJ
2014 Ocean County College- ‘Artful Words’-Toms River, NJ
2014 Gallery 224-‘Paints of Obstruction’- Philadelphia PA
2014 Jose Sebourne Gallery- ‘StoryTales’- Philadelphia, PA
2010 Burlington County College, Creations Gallery – ‘Beauty of a People’ -Pemberton, NJ
2009 Rowan College Enterprise Center - ‘The Essence of Color'- Mount Laurel, NJ
2008 The Priory at New Community Corp- ‘Soul Visions' – Newark, NJ
2008 Taina's Art Gallery, Montgomery, AL
2008 Ocean County Public Library, Toms River NJ ‘Visions on Canvas'
2007 Burlington County Library- ‘Visual Narratives’ -Westampton NJ
2007 African American Heritage Museum of South Jersey- ‘Visual Narratives’- Newtonville, NJ
2006 Astah's Fine Art Gallery- ‘StoryTales’- Maplewood, NJ
2003 II Sisters Gallery - ‘Black in Bold’- Hartford, CT
Select Group Exhibitions:
2019 Houston Museum of African American Culture- Dorsey Collection- Houston, TX
2019 Noyes Museum of Art, Kramer Hall 'Driving While Black'- Atlantic City , NJ
2019 Noba Art space, 'PHOTO-Based' -Bala Cynwyd, PA
2018 Moore College of Art Galleries" Pew Leeway 25 Exhibit-Philadelphia, PA
2018 Trestle Project Space- 'Contain Her'-Brooklyn, NY
2018 Zucot Gallery-"Afreau X' Atlanta GA
2018 March on Washington Film festival 'Spiral Now: 55 years in the making, New Artists Familiar Struggle'-Washington DC
2018 Weeksville Heritage Center-‘Forward Ever! Sacred Ground & Sovereign Space - Brooklyn NY
2018 African American Museum of Philadelphia-‘Art for Social Change’-
Philadelphia PA
2018 Philadelphia City Hall-Philly Celebrates Jazz- Philadelphia, PA
2018 Timicua Arts House- ‘Housewives Collectives’- Orlando, FL
2018 Little Berlin Gallery- ‘Mothers’- Philadelphia, PA
2018 Art at the Atrium- Lift Every Voice ATA 26th Invitational- Morristown, NJ
2018 Rush Arts Gallery Philadelphia - Giving up the Ghosts-Philadelphia, PA
2017 MFA Thesis Exhibition-Icebox Project Space- Philadelphia, PA
2017 The Colored Girls Museum-'Urgent Care'-Philadelphia, PA
2016 Gallery Guichard- ‘Urbanism’-Chicago, IL
2015 Cheney University- ‘Black Lives Matter’-Cheney, PA
2015 Painted Bride Gallery- Artisan Show-Philadelphia, PA
2014 Rush Arts Gallery - Bombay Sapphire Artisan Show- Chelsea, NY
2012 James E. Lewis Museum of Art- ‘Speak my Name’- Baltimore, MD
2012 Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center- Black Male Identity Project- Baltimore, MD
2011 Crossroads Theater- ‘Inspiration’- New Brunswick, NJ
2011 Vivant Art Collection Gallery-‘Paris Noir- the Parisian Experience’- Philadelphia PA
2011 Newark School of the Arts- ‘Strong Women’- Newark, NJ
2010 Sumei Multidisciplinary Arts Center- Open Doors Newark 2010 ‘Ironbound
Unbound’- Newark, NJ
2011 New York University, Kimmel Center- ‘ Take Root’ -NY,NY
2010 Colonnade Gallery- ‘Visual Magic’- Newark, NJ
2009 Burlington County College – ‘Best of Show’ - Mt. Holly, NJ
2008 Cheltenham Art Center –‘Rise’ -Cheltenham, PA
2007 Alabama Shakespeare Festival- ‘Crowns: Women in Church Hats’
- Montgomery, AL
Awards and Honors
2018 The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Fellowship, Nominee through the AAMP
2018 Alice C. Cole Fellowship Nominee-Wesley College
2016 Artist of the Year of Philadelphia- The Harvest Spoken Soul 215 1st Annual Awards
2014-2015 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Competition Semi-Finalist- Philadelphia
2014 University of the Arts, Philadelphia PA- Graduate Fellowship
2014 Odyssey Arts Award Travel Scholarship
2014 Gullkistan Student Artist Residency- Gulfoss, Iceland
2014 First Place Center for the Arts of Southern NJ-Marlton NJ
2014 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Competition Semi-Finalist- New York
2013 Roberta K. Tarbell Art History Scholarship
2007 Alabama Shakespeare Festival- Playbill Art Show exhibit “Crowns' Women in Church Hats” - Montgomery, AL
Select Bibliography:
Robinson, Shantay, 'Artist on the Move: Lavett Ballard', Black Art In America.com, 6/14/2018
Najuma, Ayana, ' New Generation of Artists weaves common threads for community empowerment', March on Washington Film Festival catalog 7/11/2018
Robinson, Shantay, '10 Emerging Black Female Artists to Collect' Black Art In America.com, 6/14/2018
Carroll, Angela N. ‘Giving Up the Ghost Artifacts/ A Study of Power& Solidarity
Against White Violence in Modernity’, Sugarcane Magazine/ Global Black Art &
Culture-February 2018
Friedman, Sally, ‘Juried show offers a generous display of S.J. talent’, Courier Post- ARTs section, 9/14/2014
Carbone, Mariel- ‘Art for Every Taste’-Burlington County Times- 9/18/14
‘RU Ready’- Rutgers University Camden, MATTER Magazine, January 2012
‘Art Scene NJ’-Featured Artist Article" -2008
‘Home Décor with a personal touch" Burlington County Times- March 2008
‘Voices and Vision Art’-Burlington County Times- February 2007
2004 Mikel, Valerie- ‘Lavett Ore knows how to paint the own’- 2001
Speaking Engagements/ Visiting Artist/Curation & Media:
Tulane University, Center for Academic Integrity Speaker Series " But there remain large countries in your eyes: Representing Black Women & Selfhood in Art- New Orleans, LA
Colored Girls Museum, Philadelphia, PA- 'In search of the colored girl" 3rd floor- 2018-19
International Curators International, LiveStream Artist Talk on Social Justice- 2018
Kean University at Ocean Toms River NJ- Visiting Artist symposium- 2016
Good day Street Talk, Fox News NY, "African American Art and its impact today"
Monmouth County Local Television –
‘Struggles and Success in the Arts’-PNC African America n Festival, 2009
Select Patrons/ Collectors:
Najee & Santeria Dorsey Art Collection
Grant & Tamia Hill Art Collection
The Colored Girls Museum
ABC Studios
NBC /Universal Studios
African American Heritage Museum of South Jersey
Rowan College Burlington County
The Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County
The Peter Mott House Museum
Chuck Navasky
Jim & Jenn Nixon
Honorable William & Kecia Cook
Kim Coles
Robert Townsend
Virtua Memorial Hospital
Atlanticare Hospital
Dr. Carol L. Adams Former Director of the DuSable Museum