Lavett Ballard is a New Jersey-based artist, art historian, curator, and author. She holds a dual BA in Studio Art and Art History with a minor in Museum Studies from Rutgers University, and an MFA in Studio Art from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has been commissioned twice as a cover artist for Time Magazine: the first for a special 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage edition released March 2020; a second in February 2023 for a cover and internal art feature inspired by the writing of Pulitzer Prize winning author Isabelle Wilkerson’s book CASTE: Origins of our Discontent.

Ballard views her works as re-imagined visual narratives of people from African descent. Her chosen imagery reflects social issues primarily focused on the roles of Black women within a historical context. Her current body of work uses collaged photos adorned with paint, oil pastels, and metallic foils. These photos are deconstructed and layered onto reclaimed wooden fences, referring to fences’ use to keep people in and out and symbolic of how racial and gender identities can do the same socially.

Ballard is jointly represented by Long-Sharp Gallery (Indianapolis/New York) and Galerie Myrtis (Baltimore).

Ballard will be present at this closing reception and will speak about her work. The exhibition, May All Your Fences Have a Gate, is on view July 15-October 13.

(Image: We Shall Not be Moved, 2018, mixed media collage on reclaimed wood)