Van Taylor Monroe III facts for kids

Van Taylor Monroe III, also known as Van Monroe, is an African-American artist. He is famous for creating unique, hand-painted sneakers. His most well-known work, the Obama '08 sneakers, was even asked for by the Smithsonian Institution. These special shoes are now part of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Many famous people are his clients, and he often makes art to help promote big Hollywood movies.

The Story of Van Monroe

Van Monroe was born and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Miami University in Ohio. There, he first studied graphic design before changing his major to psychology.

Van started painting sneakers in 2003 while he was still in college. He painted shoes for himself and his football teammates. After college, he worked for a company called Sherwin Williams. Later, he worked for a logistics firm. In 2007, he decided to leave that job to focus on his art career.

In 2018, Van Monroe spent a summer working as a special artist. This was for the Cleveland Museum of Art's mobile art studio, called Studio Go. He has also traveled to Africa. There, he taught painting at the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Kinshasa, DRC.

Van Monroe's Art Career

Van Monroe's artwork called "Obama ’08" became very popular online in 2008. It was a pair of Nike sneakers he hand-painted. They featured a picture of former President Barack Obama and quotes from him. He later gave these sneakers to the Smithsonian. They are now shown in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.

Since then, many other famous people have asked him to create art for them. These include Valérie Trierweiler, Spike Lee, Afeni Shakur, Will.i.am, Hill Harper, Queen Latifah, Nicki Minaj, Ray Romano, Tiësto, Jennifer Lopez, Carmelo and LaLa Anthony, and Josh Hutcherson.

Major film companies have also hired Van Monroe. He creates custom sneakers to help promote Hollywood movies. Some of these movies include Ice Age: Continental Drift and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Today, Van Monroe lives in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He runs a company called VTM Creative. This company helps other businesses with advertising and branding.

Famous Artworks by Van Monroe

Obama '08 Sneakers

His most famous artwork is "Obama '08." This is a pair of custom Nike Air Force 1s. He hand-painted them with a picture of Barack Obama. The shoes also have the words "CHANGE" and "YES WE CAN." Monroe said he was inspired after watching Obama's speeches. This was after Obama won the Iowa Caucus during his first run for president.

What Is That in Thine Hand? Mural

In 2011, Van Monroe painted a large mural. It shows two African-American children. This mural is on the wall of St. Adalbert Catholic School in Cleveland, Ohio. Monroe shared that the idea for this mural came from a passage in the bible, Exod 4:2. This quote is written at the bottom of the mural. This artwork is one of eight murals from the "Community Mural Project" by the Cleveland Foundation.

Where to See His Art

His "Obama '08" sneakers are part of the permanent collection. They are at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, DC. His art has also been shown at the Manifest Hope Gallery. This gallery was inside the Andenken Gallery in Denver, Colorado.