Deborah Roberts (visual artist) facts for kids

Deborah Roberts (born 1962) is an American contemporary artist. She is known for her special kind of art called collage, where she mixes different materials. Her artworks often show Black people, especially children. She explores important ideas like race, identity, and what it means to be a person in the world.

Deborah Roberts was honored with the 2023 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Visual Arts. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Early Life and Education

Deborah Roberts was born in 1962 in Austin, Texas. She went to college at the University of North Texas and earned a degree in fine arts. Later, she continued her studies at Syracuse University in New York, where she earned a master's degree in fine arts.

What Her Art Is About

Deborah Roberts's art makes us think about what we consider beautiful. She believes that beauty should include everyone, not just one idea. She creates her art by combining pictures she finds with her own drawings and paintings. This is called mixed media collage.

She often shows young Black girls and boys in her work. These children in her art are shown as strong and free. They are able to create their own paths and identities. Her art helps us see how different people can be understood and celebrated.

Where Her Art Has Been Shown

Deborah Roberts's artwork has been shown in many places. You can find her art in museums across the US and Europe. Some famous museums that own her work include the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Brooklyn Museum.

Her special art show called "Deborah Roberts: I'm" traveled to several museums. These included the Contemporary Austin and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Her art was also part of the 2022 exhibition Women Painting Women at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Art Collections

Deborah Roberts's artwork is part of many important art collections. This means museums and galleries have bought her pieces to keep and show. Some of these collections are at:

• Museum of Fine Art, Boston, Massachusetts
• Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Massachusetts
• Scottish National Galleries, Scotland, UK
• SFMoMA, San Francisco, California
• Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, Texas
• Brooklyn Museum, New York City, New York
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California
• Pérez Art Museum Miami, Florida
• The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City, New York
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, New York

Awards and Honors

Deborah Roberts has received many awards for her amazing artwork. These awards recognize her talent and the impact of her art.