Mary Anna Brown

Working predominantly with collage, drawing, and painting, Mary Anna Brown is a mixed media artist based in Huntsville, AL who graduated from the University of Alabama,Tuscaloosa with a degree in art history (BA in 2003; MA in 2008). Being a visual artist was not part of her original plan as she saw herself as more of an appreciator of the visual arts and its history. It wasn’t until just a few years ago, in 2020, that she discovered her true passion lies in the creative process.

Brown, born in 1981 in Tuscumbia, AL takes much of her inspiration from time spent with her maternal grandmother during childhood. Flipping through the glossy pages of her grandmother’s magazines and cutting out paper dolls from Sears and JCPenney catalogs were experiences that nurtured her love of utilizing found imagery and collage in her work. Using vintage print media layered beneath painted images of mid-century domestic architecture, her work invites the viewer to look beyond the painted image to see beneath the surface where there may be observed a bit of nostalgia, family life, and even humor.

Her retro-inspired mixed media pieces have been seen in a variety of venues throughout Alabama She participates in juried festivals such as the Kentuck Festival of the Arts (Tuscaloosa) where she won a Merit Award in 2024 as well as group shows such as the Carnegie Art Center’s (Decatur) “Embracing Art” exhibition where she was the recipient of the 2024 Director’s Choice Award. She also had a solo show in 2024, “Close To Home,” at Alabama A&M where she currently serves as an adjunct faculty member.