Boxx The Artist (b.1990) is an Indianapolis-based, interdisciplinary visual artist whose practice spans traditional acrylics, digital art, photography, and film. Her work synthesizes expressionistic portraiture that examines the African Diaspora, providing cultural images that honor marginalized communities and celebrates her profound love for Blackness. Boxx’s art often centers on melanated subjects, using dark hues to capture light within darkness and explore how Blackness occupies illuminates spaces.

Originally from Gary, Indiana, Boxx received a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree from Purdue University in African- American Studies and Mass Communication with a concentration in Media Production, and minors in Political Science and Entrepreneurship and Innovation. During her time in college she focused on advocacy serving as President of the Black Student Union, a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated; and explored the performing arts as a musician, lyricst, spoken word artist, and actress as a member of the acting ensemble New Directional Players with the Black Cultural Center. Upon graduating, and a career in corporate America, she pursued a focus in the arts as a visual artist, and has been a full-time artist and maker for six years. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including the Black Creativity Juried Exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry in 2022 and 2023 and the 26th African American Art Exhibition at the Roanna H. Victor Gallery in the Actors Theatre of Louisville. She was recognized as a Hoosier Women Artist by the Indiana Lt. Governor in 2023 and 2024, earning the honor of two consecutive one-year art installations in the Indiana State House. In 2022, she received the DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award and the Power Plant Grant from Big Car Collaborative and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Arts. In 2024, she was named Noblesville Creates Artist of the Year for her contributions to the Greater Indianapolis art community and the field of contemporary art.

Boxx has served on various panels, juries, and curatorial roles, demonstrating her commitment to expanding the art landscape. She has participated in numerous residencies and fellowships, including the 2021 Maker-in-Residence at Ignite Studio in Fishers, Indiana, the 2021 Artist and Curator for Cat Head Press Artist Residency, and the 2021 Fellow with the Indiana Arts Commission’s On Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator. She has completed over ten mural installations in Indianapolis, including a five-story civic mural for the City of Indianapolis, a permanent installation at the Indiana State Museum, and a mural for the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit at Conner Prairie: Living History Museum.

From 2023 to 2024, Boxx served as PATTERN Artist-in-Residence, where she participated in a six-month creative entrepreneurship residency. Her works have been prominently displayed at the Indianapolis Airport and featured in several media outlets, including Fox59, WISH-TV, WRTV, IndyStar, Nuvo, and the Indianapolis Recorder. She is also a Certified Minority/Woman-Owned Business in the State of Indiana and founder of Arthentic Arts Incorporated a non-profit organization that offers resources and creative entrepreneurial development for underserved marginalized artists of color. You can connect with Boxx on social media @boxxtheartist on all platforms.

Work and Insight

Boxx’s artistic journey is deeply personal and guided by a passion for research and experimentation, much like Pablo Picasso’s view of art as a continuous research and exploration. Inspired by her degree in African-American Studies, she uses her work to explore Black history and culture beyond narratives of oppression. For Boxx, painting became a scholarly pursuit—each brushstroke a means to capture Blackness in positive spaces and honor the worthiness of Black people throughout history.

Her premiere collection, The Women in Between, explores the effects of systematic racial bias rooted in the history of portraiture, photography, and printmaking industries. Boxx examines the evolution of canvas prints, tracing their history back to early portraiture—a medium once reserved for the wealthy, which systematically excluded Black people. The advent of photography promised greater representation, but was marred by technological biases, such as the infamous Shirley Cards used in film development, which calibrated color tones exclusively for white skin. Developed between the 1930s and 1950s, this technology lacked the photosensitive chemicals needed to capture the rich yellows, browns, and reds of darker complexions, often rendering dark-skinned subjects inaccurately.

Boxx’s work critically engages with this history, connecting the absence of accurate representation in visual mediums to the broader marginalization of dark-skinned people. Through acrylics, digital art, and film, she addresses these dynamics, using tones, textures, and symbolism to articulate the beauty and complexity of Black identity. Her pieces serve as tools of research and expression, celebrating the nuanced stories of Blackness and challenging the historical erasure within the visual arts.

 

 

ARTIST STATEMENT 

Pablo Picasso once said, “Paintings are but research and experiment—I search constantly, and there is a logical sequence in all this research.” This quote deeply reflects my artistic journey, especially in my exploration of Black history and culture. My academic background in African-American Studies equipped me with a critical lens to examine my heritage within the African diaspora, reshaping my perception from one solely focused on oppression to one that celebrates resilience and triumph. My art practice is a form of study, where each piece allows me to research and reimagine the presence of Blackness in empowered and uplifting contexts.

Through a blend of traditional acrylics, digital art, and film, I spotlight pivotal moments in Black history—from ancient African civilizations and the vibrancy of the Black Renaissance to the transformative Civil Rights era and the ongoing evolution of contemporary Black culture. My work is characterized by expressionistic portraits of melanated subjects, where dark skin is not just represented but illuminated. I use deep tones, rich browns, blacks, and whites to emphasize the beauty of Black skin, infusing my pieces with layers of symbolism and abstract elements that add creative depth.

Each stroke, texture, and stylized detail captures the essence of my subjects, reflecting a balance between the complexity of history and the celebration of identity. My process is a dynamic interplay of narrative and medium, using art as both a tool for research and a means of expression to honor the enduring spirit and beauty of Blackness.

ARTIST RESUME 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2024   Art & Soul Featured Collection, Arts Garden, Indianapolis, IN

2021   Intersections, Hank & Dolly’s Gallery,  Harrison Art Center, Indianapolis, IN

 

JURIED EXHIBITIONS

2022-23   Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibit, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL 

2020   26th African American Art Exhibition, Roanne H. Victor Gallery at Actors Theatre, Louisville, KY

2019   Prized Possessions Juried Show, Nickel Plate Arts, Noblesville, IN

 

AWARDS/GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS (honors, scholarships, etc.)

2024   Artist of the Year Award, Noblesville Creates, Noblesville, IN

2024   Public Art for Neighborhoods Grantee, Indianapolis Arts Council

2024-23  Hoosier Women Artist Award, Office of the Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indianapolis, IN

2024      Art & Soul Featured Artist, Indianapolis Arts Council, Indianapolis, IN

2023    Disrupt Indy Innovation Grant, Be Nimble Foundation, Indianapolis, IN

2022    Dehaan Artist of Distinction Award, Indianapolis Arts Council, Indianapolis, IN

2022   Honor Award in Public Art, ‘The Fastest’ Major Taylor Mural, Monumental Awards, Indianapolis, IN

2022   Power Plant Project Grant Recipient, Big Car Collaborative, Indianapolis 

2021   Honor Award in Public Art, Art & Seek Project, Monumental Awards, Indianapolis, IN

2021  CICF Artist Ambassador, Grant recipient, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Indianapolis, IN

2021  On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program and Fellowship, Indiana Arts Commission 

2021  Merit Award in Public Art,  Murals for Racial Justice Project, Monumental Awards, Indianapolis, IN

2021  Achievement Award in Public Art, SWISH Mural Project, Monumental Awards, Indianapolis, IN

2019    Indiana Arts Homecoming Scholarship Recipient, Indiana Historical Society

 

ARTIST RESIDENCIES/APPRENTICESHIPS/TEACHING

2024      Visualizing the Voices of Protest in Public Art, Panelist, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana

2018-24 Cultural Arts Pavilion Curator (for visual & performing arts), Indiana Black Expo, Indianapolis, IN

2023      PATTERN Artist-in-Residence, Creative Entrepreneur, The Stutz Building, Indianapolis, IN

2023   Creative Career & Masterclass Series, Artist Development Accelerator, Arthentic Arts, Inc, Indianapolis, IN

2023   Artist Lecture, Creative Futures Conference, Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis, IN

2022     Artist Panelist, Accelerator Program, 7house, Indiana Arts Commission, Phoenix Theatre, Indianapolis, IN

2022     Superpower Panelist, On-Ramp 2.0, Indiana Arts Commission, The Arts Federation,Lafayette, IN

2021     W.O.R.K. for Success Virtual Career Panelist, Ivy Tech Community College-Lake County

2021     Apprenticeship, “Major Taylor Mural,” Bicentennial Legends Mural Installation, Indianapolis, IN

2021     Maker-in-Residence, Ignite Studio, Fishers, IN

2021     Artist & Curator Resident, Cat Head Press: Printshop/Artist Cooperative, Indianapolis, IN

 

PUBLIC ART PROJECTS 

2024    MLK Park Community Mural (in progress)-  Indy Parks

2024    Butler-Tarkington Park Community Mural (in progress)-  Indy Parks

2024   The Light, Sidewalk Galleries, Georgia St, Indianapolis Indiana

2023   O'bannon Park Community Mural Installation, Indy Parks and Recreation, Indianapolis, IN

2022   Public Art Activation, Community Garden Bed & Mural, Indiana Destination Development Corporation

2022    “Seed Swap” Perspective Playground, Permanent Mural Installation Exhibit, Indiana State Museum

2022     Habitat, Bee Mural Installation, Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibit, Conner Prairie, Fishers, IN

2021  Indy Keeps Creating Storefront Window Mural, Circle City Mall, Indianapolis Arts Council

2021 Inclusion Mural, Garfield Park Arts Center, Community Mural Installation, Indianapolis, IN

2021 Swish Indy, March Madness Art Project, Vinyl Mural, Indianapolis International Airport 

2021 High Art Billboard Project, Indianapolis Arts Council & Regan Outdoor Advertising, 6654 W. Washington St.

2020 Indy Art & Seek: Public Art Interventions, “Interactive Community Canvas/Mural”, 25th & Sherman 

2020 Racial Justice Project Mural, Arts Council of Indianapolis, 300 S. Meridian, Indianapolis, IN

 

COMMISSIONS

2024    Mari Evans Portrait, 24x20, Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, Indianapolis, IN

2024    Meditation, 30x40, Eskenazi Health Public Art Collection, Indianapolis, IN

2024    Grandma’s House, 60x40, Generations II Collection, Gregory & Appel Insurance, Indianapolis,IN

2023   Welcome Race Fans, 24x36 digital acrylic on canvas,  Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2022   Freddie Hubbard, Legends Music Poster Series, Old National Music Centre, Indianapolis, IN

2021  Roberts Blueprint, 48x60, acrylic , Hamilton County Community Foundation Collaboration Hub, Fishers, IN

2021   Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute, 18x24, acrylic on canvas, Abstract Portrait Commission for Anderson University, Cultural Resource Center, Anderson, IN

 

LIVE ART, INSTALLATIONS, & EVENTS (showcases & displayings)

2023   Spectacular Black Girl Art Show, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL

2021-23    Artway Street Fest, Art Installation, 7 House, Indianapolis, IN

2018-23    Cultural Arts Pavilion Curation, Installation/Activations, Indiana Black Expo, State Convention Center

2019   Pattern Magazine Launch Party, Interactive Art Installation, Indianapolis, IN

2019   Pattern Magazine's Supply Trade Show, Art Exhibit, Indianapolis, IN

2019   Fishers Arts Crawl, Art Exhibit/Live Art, Fishers, IN

2018   Indianapolis Pride, Featured Artist 

2019   The Black Experience, Live Art/ Exhibit and Activation, University of Wisconsin

 

FILM

2023  The Women In Between: A Portrait Montage Project, Documentary, Non Fiction, Director/Producer, Indianapolis, IN

 

EDUCATION

2013    Bachelors of Arts Mass Communication   
            Bachelors of Arts African American Studies     
            Minor: Political Science, College of Liberal Arts

            Certificate of Entrepreneurship & Innovation,
            Krannert School of Mgmt, Purdue University