Mary L. Proctor facts for kids

Mary L. Proctor, born in 1960, is an American artist. She is famous for her unique paintings, collages, and artworks made from different materials. People often call her "Missionary" Mary because of the spiritual messages in her art.

Mary Proctor's Early Life

Mary Proctor was born in 1960 in Lloyd, Florida. Her grandparents raised her. She went to public school but left in ninth grade. After that, she helped take care of her younger brothers and sisters.

Moving to Tallahassee

After her grandfather passed away, Mary met and married Tyrone Proctor. They moved together to Tallahassee, Florida.

Before Becoming an Artist

Mary Proctor worked as a nurse for ten years. Later, she opened her own day care center called Tender Loving Care Day Care Center. She ran it for five years.

Looking for a different kind of work, Mary started collecting items from the side of the road. She would then sell these items at a local flea market. Eventually, she opened her own store, which she named "Noah's Ark Flea Market." Even today, collecting interesting items is still one of her favorite hobbies.

Becoming an Artist

In 1994, a sad event changed Mary Proctor's life. A house fire took the lives of her grandmother, aunt, and uncle. Mary says that right before the fire, she had a vision. She "saw light going all the way up to heaven."

After the fire, in 1995, Mary says she had another vision while praying. This vision told her to "Paint." These powerful experiences inspired her to start creating art. Her very first artworks were portraits of her family members who died in the fire. She painted these portraits on old doors.

Her Unique Art Style

Mary placed these painted doors in her front yard. A curator and art critic named Tricia Collins saw them. She was very impressed and bought them for her art gallery in New York.

Mary Proctor's artworks often feature figures decorated with buttons, fake jewels, and pieces of glass. She usually paints on old windows or doors. Her art often includes spiritual messages and observations about life.

The Name "Missionary Mary"

Mary signs most of her art with the name "Missionary Mary L Proctor." She uses this name to show her religious reasons for making art. She explains that the Lord told her she was "on a mission to get a great message out into the houses and hearts." She wants her art to help and uplift people, especially women, and to encourage men to be respectful.

Art Studios and Galleries

"Missionary" Mary started her art studio in 1995. It was located in her roadside junk shop in south Leon County, Florida. In 2011, she opened the American Folk Art Museum and Gallery. This museum was located inside the Tallahassee Mall in Tallahassee, Florida.

Exhibitions and Recognition

Mary Proctor had her first solo art show in 1995 at the All Saints Gallery in Tallahassee, Florida. Just one year later, her painted doors were featured in another solo show at the Tricia Collins Grand Salon in New York.

In 1997, her art was chosen for three museum exhibitions. These included shows at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, the Zora Neale Hurston Museum of Fine Arts in Florida, and the Museum of African American Art in Tampa. That same year, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee held a solo show called "Mary Proctor: Contemporary American Folk Artist." She has also shown her work regularly at the Kentuck Arts Festival for over twenty years.

Magazine Features and Major Shows

In 1999, the magazine Raw Vision featured Mary Proctor's story on its cover. The article was titled "Mary Proctor's Vision." Since then, her art has been shown in at least twelve solo museum exhibitions. Her work has also been part of more than forty group shows.

Some of these important group shows include:

• The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland
• The Smithsonian Institution Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, DC
• The 2016 Atlanta Biennial at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
• "History Refused to Die: Highlights from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation Gift" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2018

In 2016, Mary Proctor received a special award called the Folk Art Society Award of Distinction. This award was given by the Folk Art Society of America.

Where to See Her Art

Many museums have Mary Proctor's artwork in their permanent collections. This means they own her art and display it for people to see. Some of these museums include:

• The American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
• Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, North Carolina
• Gadsden Arts Center & Museum, Quincy, Florida
• High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia
• Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando, Florida
• Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, Florida
• Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida
• Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, Georgia
• Smithsonian Institution Anacostia Community Museum, Washington, DC
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York
• New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Center for African American History and Culture, Washington, DC
• California African American Museum, Los Angeles, California