Sylvia Snowden facts for kids

Sylvia Snowden (born in 1942) is an amazing African American artist. She creates abstract paintings, which means her art doesn't always show real-life objects. Instead, she uses colors, shapes, and textures to express feelings and ideas. Sylvia uses materials like acrylic paints, oil pastels, and other mixed media. Her goal is to make art that lets you feel the paint itself. Many museums have shown her artwork, and some have even added her pieces to their permanent collections.

Early Life and Art Education

Sylvia Snowden was born in 1942 in Raleigh, North Carolina. She loved art and went to Howard University. There, she studied with a famous artist named David Driskell. Sylvia worked hard and earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts.

She also received a special scholarship to attend the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. This was a great chance to learn even more about art. Later, she traveled to Paris, France, and earned a certificate from Le Grande Chaumier, another well-known art school.

Sylvia Snowden's Career as an Artist

Sylvia Snowden has had a very busy and important career in the art world. She has taught art at big universities like Howard, Cornell, and Yale. She has also been an "artist-in-residence," which means she spent time at a school or gallery creating art and sharing her knowledge.

Sylvia has also worked as a panelist, visiting artist, and lecturer. She has even been a curator, which means she helped organize and set up art exhibitions. She has shared her art and expertise in many places, both in the United States and in other countries.

Famous Artworks and Exhibitions

Sylvia Snowden's art has been shown in many important places. Some of these include the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Montclair Art Museum, and The Phillips Collection. Her work has traveled all over the world, being shown in countries like Chile, Japan, France, and Australia.

In 2000, she had a special exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. This show featured art inspired by the passing of her son. Sylvia has also received several awards for her art, including the Lois M. Jones Award.

One exciting exhibition that featured Sylvia's work was called "Magnetic Fields." This show was at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. It focused on abstract art by women artists of color in America. The museum said it was the first time an exhibit was completely dedicated to this important topic.

More recently, in 2023, her art was part of a big exhibition in London, England. This show, called Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-1970, was held at the Whitechapel Gallery. It highlighted the work of many talented women abstract artists.

Selected Art Exhibitions

Here are some of the places where Sylvia Snowden's art has been shown:

• 2024: The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield, UK
• 2021: Parrasch Heijnen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, "Sylvia Snowden: Select Works, 1966 - 2020."
• 2020: National Gallery Of Art, Washington, D.C., 'Mammie Harrington".
• 2017: Group Exhibition: "Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today," Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
• 2011: Group Exhibition: "Artistic Reflections", Brentwood Arts Exchange, Brentwood, MD
• 2007: Solo Exhibition: "Flowers", Parish Gallery, Washington, D.C.
• 2003: Corcoran Gallery of Art, "Black is a Color: African American Art," Washington, D.C.
• 2000: Solo Exhibition, "Malik, Farewell 'Till We Meet Again," Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
• 1992: Solo Exhibition, "Sylvia Snowden," The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.
• 1989: Solo Exhibition, "Sylvia Snowden/Paintings '89", Ipomal Galerij, Netherlands.
• 1976: Solo Exhibition, Seymore Center for the Arts, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
• 1965: Solo Exhibitions, "Birds of Prey by Sylvia Snowden," Delaware State College, Dover, Delaware.