Edwards, Lynthia, (Wisteria)

"Wisteria" by Lynthia Edwards 22.5 x 15 inches, mixed media collage on paper, (2026) --framed Lynthia Edwards is a Charlotte, NC-based multidisciplinary artist  best known for her collage works that present the complex emotions  associated with Black girls’ experiences in the American South. Edwards  sources images from her current life both to channel the racial and gendered  isolation she experienced as a child and express the limitations of her strict,  Pentecostal upbringing, with her collage subjects as distinctive versions of her  younger self.   Born in 1978 in Alexander City, Alabama, Edwards studied at the Art Institute  of Atlanta (AA in Graphic Design, 1998), Auburn University of Montgomery  (B.A., Art Education, 2002), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham  (M.A. Art Education, 2012). She is the recipient of many awards, including  the Purchase Award from the Alabama Art Colony in both 2005 and 2006,  and “Best of Show” in the Montgomery Art Guild and Regions Bank  Exhibition in 2019. In 2021, she earned the Alabama State Council for the  Arts Fellow Award.   In 2019, Edwards participated in the Gee’s Bend Quilters Retreat at the  Alabama Folk School in Nauvoo, Alabama. She later exhibited alongside  famed quilters Tinnie and Minnie Pettway and Claudia Pettway Charley in  Good Trouble: Civil Rights Past and Present (February 2-March 26, 2021) at  the Kentuck Art Center in Northport, Alabama. Other recent exhibitions have  been presented at Untitled Art Miami Beach 2021, the Gadsden Museum of  Art and Tennessee Valley Museum of Art. Believing in its transformative  power, she taught art for 13 years to adjudicated male offenders at the  Alabama Department of Youth Services School District.   Edwards’ work can be found in numerous public collections and the private  collections of philanthropist Beth Rudin DeWoody, businessman Ric Lewis,  and finance executive Reginald Browne.  CV: VISUAL ARTIST & EDUCATOR  Education  * Master of Arts in Art Education | University of Alabama at Birmingham (2012)  * Bachelor of Arts in Art Education | Auburn University at Montgomery (2002)  * Associate of Arts in Graphic Design | Art Institute of Atlanta (1998)  Teaching & Professional Experience  Art Educator  i3 Academy / Woodlawn Community Charter School | Birmingham, AL  * Facilitates visual arts instruction for elementary students, emphasizing the  transformative power of creativity.  * Develops curriculum that integrates local cultural history with contemporary  artistic practices.  Art Instructor  Alabama Department of Youth Services School District | Mount Meigs, AL | (13  Years)  * Utilized art as a therapeutic and rehabilitative tool for adjudicated male  offenders.  * Developed specialized programming to foster self-expression and vocational  skill-building within a secure facility.       Selected Exhibition History  Solo Exhibitions  * 2024 | Zippity Doo Da, Scope Miami Beach (Presented by Richard Beavers Gallery)  * 2023 | Baptism Sunday, Richard Beavers Gallery, New York, NY  * 2021 Solo Presentation, Gadsden Museum of Art, Gadsden, AL  * 2021 Solo Presentation, Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, Tuscumbia, AL  Selected Group Exhibitions & Art Fairs  * 2025 | Black Joy is a Revolutionary Act, Richard Beavers Gallery, New York, NY  * 2025 | EXPO CHICAGO, Richard Beavers Gallery  * 2024 | Roots and Routes, Richard Beavers Gallery, New York, NY  * 2022 | RBG - Our Primary Colors, Richard Beavers Gallery   * 2021 | Untitled Art Miami Beach, Miami, FL, Richard Beavers Gallery  * 2021 | Good Trouble: Civil Rights Past and Present, Kentuck Art Center, Northport,  AL  Public & Private Collections  * Alabama Art Colony | Purchase Awards (2005, 2006)  *    Jule    Collins    Smith    Museum    of    Fine    Art    (at Auburn University)     *    21c    Museum    Hotel     *    Montgomery Art Guild / Regions Bank | Montgomery, AL     * Private Collection of Eric G. Johnson (Vice President of the Board of Trustees (PAMM)  * Private Collection of Reginald M. Browne (Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at (PAFA)     * Private Collection of Beth Rudin DeWoody  * Private Collection of Michael and Susan Hort   * Private Collection of the Late Congressman John Lewis      Awards & Honors  * 2021 | Fellowship Award, Alabama State Council on the Arts  * 2019 | Best of Show, Montgomery Art Guild and Regions Bank Exhibition  * 2019 | Participant, Gee’s Bend Quilters Retreat (Alabama Folk School)  Community Leadership  * Founder, Black Unicorns Matter: An initiative dedicated to mentoring and  providing visibility for Black girls in the arts.  * Co-Founder, DC Sparkle Squad: Using artistic outreach to promote civic  engagement and voter registration.