Collage artist Phoebe Beasley’s work highlights diverse themes of American life and has featured prominently in the political realm. Notably, President Clinton presented the Ambassadors of the Diplomatic Corps with Clinton Inaugural, one of Beasley’s monoprints that had been accorded the Presidential Seal. This marked the second time Beasley had received such distinction; the first was a commissioned artwork for the inauguration of President George H.W. Bush. In 2012, Beasley was among the forty-four artists commissioned to create a collage on a life-size bust of President Barack Obama.
When President Clinton presented the Ambassadors of the Diplomatic Corps with one of Beasley’s monoprints entitled “Clinton Inaugural” in 1993, it was the second time she received the coveted Presidential Seal on her artwork, The first time was in 1989 when she was commissioned to do the “Official Artwork” for the inauguration of President Bush – thus, making her the only artist to twice receive the honor.
Phoebe has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in the United States and abroad, and was honored by the State Department for her participation in the Arts in Embassies Program.
Beasley’s collage artwork was part of two museum exhibitions including, a group show mounted by the Smithsonian Institution entitled In The Spirit of Martin, honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a touring exhibition, Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection. A four month long exhibition at the Kansas African American Museum and a solo exhibition at the M. Hanks Gallery, accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue, capped the artist’s 2005 season.
Phoebe’s work will be included in an upcoming touring museum exhibition entitled Portraying Lincoln: Man of Many Faces based on the life and work of President Lincoln, scheduled to open in 2008. Solo exhibitions in 2008 include the Hearne Fine Art Gallery in Little Rock and the M. Hanks Gallery in Santa Monica.
Beasley completed a collaboration with Dr. Maya Angelou in which she created several serigraphs from poems by Langston Hughes for a limited edition book. Dr. Angelou selected the poems and titled the masterful compilation, Sunrise is Coming After While, and then wrote the forwards on Hughes and Beasley.
Website
http://www.phoebebeasley.com
