Ayanna Jolivet McCloud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ayanna McCloud
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| Born | 1978 (age 46–47) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | School of Art Institute of Chicago |
| Occupation | Artist |
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| Awards | Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant Idea Fund Stimulus Grant 2015 labotanica |
Ayanna Jolivet McCloud (born 1978) is a talented artist, writer, and teacher from Houston, Texas. She is known for her simple, clean art style and her amazing sound performances.
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Ayanna McCloud's Early Life and Learning
Ayanna grew up in Houston. She studied visual arts and critical studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. Even though she first trained as a painter, Ayanna started making art that combined sound, writing, and live performances.
For over 15 years, Ayanna worked for different arts organizations. Today, she is the director of education and public programs at the Houston Botanic Garden.
Ayanna McCloud's Art Career
Ayanna McCloud has shown her art and taken part in special art programs all over the Americas. This includes places like the United States, the Caribbean Islands, and Central and South America.
Art at Project Row Houses
She was part of a special art project called Project Row Houses in Houston. For this project, Ayanna created an art piece called Score [how to hold on to chasms and fill with matter]. She used sound, sculptures, and words to create a calm space. This space helped people think about deep feelings and challenges. Her art often looks simple at first, but it has many layers of meaning. As part of this project, Ayanna also led a workshop called Writing in the Margins.
La Botanica and Collaborations
Ayanna also started and directed La Botanica. This was a special place in Houston where artists and the community could work together. Ayanna loves to work with others. She has created art with other artists and even with her audience!
In 2017, her art show Score: Field Work opened. This show included visual art and experimental sound pieces made by women artists. Ayanna and others also performed live during the show.
Exploring Spirituality in Art
Early in her career, Ayanna began exploring themes of spirituality and the human body. She often used symbols and ideas from Vodou and other African traditions.
For example, in 2006, she created an art installation and performance called Goofer Dust. This art piece used visual elements like chickens and earth. It also included a performance and the idea of "collective dreaming." These elements reflected the style and beliefs of Vodou. Ayanna invited the audience to join in the performance. She wanted to show the special power that collective dreaming can have. Through this art, Goofer Dust explored how our bodies connect to space, time, nature, community, and ourselves.
In some of her art, Ayanna uses veves. These are special line drawings used in Vodou art. You can see these symbols in her art piece Damballah Study, where she drew them on grass. She also used veves in Delete/Borrar/Efase and Crossroads to create art installations.
Community Work and Awards
Ayanna was an advisor for the Mayor's Art and Cultural Plan for the City of Houston. She now works at the Houston Botanic Garden. There, she creates new programs that connect plants, nature, people, and culture.
Ayanna has received important awards for her art. She got an Individual Artist Grant Award from the city of Houston. In 2015, she also received a Stimulus Grant for La Botanica. This helped her launch La Botanica online with a store and a blog.
Ayanna McCloud's Art Projects
Here are some of Ayanna McCloud's art projects:
Solo Art Shows and Performances
- 2006 – goofer dust, Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, Miami, Florida (performance)
- 2006 – one: sugar blood (canibala series), PoPop Studios, Nassau, Bahamas (performance)
- 2004 – under, Polvo Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois
- 2003 – Marks, Base Space, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Group Art Shows
- 2020 – Slowed and Throwed: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, Texas
- 2006 – International Conceptual Video Screening, Commerce Street Warehouse, Houston, Texas
- 2006 – The Ephemeral and the Remaining, State University of New York, Oswego, New York
- 2006 – Memorias de un Mexicano: Homage to Francisco Mora, Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois
- 2005 – Out Castes: Crossing the line to the Model Majority: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Diaspora, Miami, Florida
- 2005 – Complement, Art Center/South Florida, Miami Beach, Florida
- 2005 – Off the Main: The Show of Contemporary African, Caribbean, and Latin American Art, Puck Building, New York
- 2005 – Casket Factory, Dallas, Texas
- 2005 – Memorias de un Mexicano: Homage to Francisco Mora, Gallery 214, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, Illinois
- 2004 – Memorias de un Mexicano: Homage to Francisco Mora, Max Von Isser Gallery of Art, Elgin College, Elgin, Illinois
- 2004 – Theft, Galeria Tinta Roja, Chicago, Illinois
- 2004 – function : assimilate, functionvariable, Barcelona, Spain
- 2003 – Turn On, Artist Relief/Harem, Chicago, Illinois
- 2002 – Siragusa Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
- 2000 – freshmix, Community Artists' Collective, Houston, Texas
- 1999 – Urban Girls, El Museo Francisco Oller y Diego Rivera, Buffalo, New York
Other Projects
Some of her other projects include:
- Hear Her Ear: A series that celebrates women in sound art.
- School of Latitudes: An artist residency program.
- Workshops: Including Writing in the Margins (at Project Row Houses) and How to Frame Pauses, Holism, and Magical Thinking in New Arts Infrastructures (at Art League Houston).
