Mary L. Proctor facts for kids

Mary L. Proctor, also known as "Missionary" Mary, is an American artist born in 1960. She is famous for her unique paintings, collages, and artworks made from different materials. Her art often includes spiritual messages and uses everyday objects.

Mary Proctor's Early Life

Mary Proctor was born in 1960 in Lloyd, Florida. Her grandparents raised her. Her grandmother took care of the home, and her grandfather was a farmer. Mary went to school until ninth grade. After that, she helped raise her younger brothers and sisters.

Moving to Tallahassee

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

Mary's First Jobs

Mary Proctor worked as a nurse for ten years. Then, she opened her own day care center called Tender Loving Care Day Care Center. She ran it for five years. After that, she started collecting items from the side of the road. She would sell these items at a local flea market. Eventually, she opened her own store called "Noah's Ark Flea Market." Collecting interesting items is still one of her hobbies.

Becoming an Artist

In 1994, a house fire tragically took the lives of Mary Proctor's grandmother, aunt, and uncle. Mary says she had a special vision right before the fire. She saw a bright light going up to heaven. After the fire, in 1995, Mary says she had another vision while praying. This vision told her to "Paint." These experiences inspired her to become an artist.

Her First Artworks

Mary's first artworks were portraits of her family members who died in the fire. She painted them on old doors. She placed these doors in her front yard. A curator and art critic named Tricia Collins saw them. She bought them for her art gallery in New York.

What Her Art Looks Like

Mary Proctor's art often uses buttons, fake jewels, and glass pieces. She puts these on canvases made from old windows or doors. Her artworks often share spiritual messages and observations about life.

She signs most of her pieces with the name "Missionary Mary L Proctor." She uses this name because her art is inspired by her faith. She believes she is on a mission to share important messages. She wants to help and uplift people, especially women. She also wants men to think about their hearts and treat others with respect.

Art Studios and Galleries

"Missionary" Mary started her art studio in 1995. It was in her roadside shop in south Leon County, Florida. In 2011, she opened the American Folk Art Museum and Gallery. This museum was located in 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. A year later, she had another solo show in New York. Her door paintings were featured at the Tricia Collins Grand Salon.

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. Her work was also shown at the Zora Neale Hurston Museum of Fine Arts in Florida. The Museum of African American Art in Tampa, Florida, also featured her art. In the same year, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee held a solo show called "Mary Proctor: Contemporary American Folk Artist." She has also shown her art regularly at the Kentuck Arts Festival for over twenty years.

Mary Proctor was featured on the cover of Raw Vision magazine in 1999–2000. Since then, she has had at least twelve solo museum exhibitions. Her work has also been part of more than forty group shows. These include shows at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Her art was also shown at the Smithsonian Institution Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Other important exhibitions include the 2016 Atlanta Biennial. Her work was also in the show "History Refused to Die" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2018.

In 2016, Mary Proctor received a special award. It was the Folk Art Society Award of Distinction from 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 in Baltimore, Maryland (which has 16 of her works)
• The Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, North Carolina
• The Gadsden Arts Center & Museum in Quincy, Florida
• The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia
• The Mennello Museum of American Art in Orlando, Florida
• The Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, Florida
• The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida
• The Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Georgia
• The Smithsonian Institution Anacostia Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
• The New Orleans Museum of Art in New Orleans, Louisiana
• The Center for African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
• The California African American Museum in Los Angeles, California