Artist Commissions: Sanah Brown-Bowers, Jason Patterson, Glenda Richardson

Afro Charities is thrilled to announce our 2024/2025 Artist Commissioning Project cohort! Congratulations to Maryland-based artists Sanah Brown-Bowers, Jason Patterson and Glenda Richardson.

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The artists were selected in consultation with our curatorial panel, composed of Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims, Dr. Schroeder Cherry, and Jessica Bell Brown.

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Each artist will have 14 months to conduct original research in the AFRO News Archives, and to produce new artwork inspired by their findings. The artists will be provided with technical assistance and generous research, production and materials stipends to support their work. Their art will ultimately debut in a public exhibition to be announced at a later date (stay tuned!).

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Sanah Brown-Bowers, a recent MICA graduate, creates intricate wooden shadow boxes that feature three-dimensional elements, lighting, and lifelike portraiture with a pop art twist. Her work captures the textures and stories of life, blending realism with a whimsical edge.

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Jason Patterson uses soft pastel portraits, woodworking and the recreation of historical texts and documents to explore African American history, and to highlight the influence our past has on our current political and social conditions in the United States.

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Glenda Richardson is a fiber artist and master quilter who specializes in portraiture and abstracted story quilts that are a mélange of fabrics, found objects, and treasured pieces directly significant to their subjects.

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This project marks the third iteration of Afro Charities’ artist commissioning program. Past artists include Akea Brionne, Xaviera Simmons, Shan Wallace and Savannah Wood. This program is supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Ruth Foundation for the Arts.

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