Deborah Roberts (visual artist) facts for kids

Deborah Roberts is an American artist born in 1962. She creates amazing art using a mix of different materials, like paper and paint. Her art often shows Black people, especially young girls and boys. She explores important ideas like race, who we are, and how boys and girls are seen in the world. Her work helps us think about what "beauty" means and how everyone fits into society. In 2023, Deborah Roberts received the 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 in Denton, Texas. There, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. Later, she continued her studies at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. She received a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Syracuse.

What Is Deborah Roberts' Art About?

Deborah Roberts' art makes us think about what we consider beautiful. She believes that beauty is not just one thing. Instead, it can be seen in many different ways. She uses a special art style called collage. This means she combines different pictures and materials. She also adds her own drawings and paintings.

Her art often features young Black girls and, more recently, Black boys. These characters in her art are strong and free. They show that they can create their own paths in life. They also form their own unique identities. Her work helps us understand the rich stories of African American people.

Where Has Deborah Roberts' Art Been Shown?

Deborah Roberts' artwork has been shown all over the world. You can find her art in many famous museums. These include the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Her art is also at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Other places include The Studio Museum in Harlem and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

A special art show called "Deborah Roberts: I'm" traveled to many cities. It was shown at the Contemporary Austin and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. It also went to Art + Practice in Los Angeles. Her art was part of the "Women Painting Women" show in 2022. This show was at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Where Can You Find Deborah Roberts' Art?

Deborah Roberts' artwork is part of many important art collections. These collections are in museums across the United States and even in Scotland.

• 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
• Block Museum of Art, Evanston, Illinois
• Brooklyn Museum, New York City, New York
• The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, New York
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
• Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, New Jersey
• Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, Florida
• Spelman College Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia
• The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City, New York
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, New York

Awards and Recognition

Deborah Roberts has received many awards for her amazing art. In 2019, she was chosen for the Robert Rauschenberg Residency. This is a special program for artists. She also received the Anonymous Was A Woman Grant in 2018. Other awards include the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2016.