Judy Bowman

Judy Bowman was born on the east side of Detroit, Michigan in 1952. Her family lived in the community that what was commonly known as "Black Bottom." She attended Detroit Public Schools.

After graduating from high school, she began taking art classes at Spellman College while attending Morris Brown and Clark College, majoring in Art. It was during her time in the Atlanta University Center that her love for art really began to grow. A highlight of her time in Atlanta was when she was commissioned by Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s mother, Alberta King to do art for the newly formed MLK Library on the International Theological Center. She could not believe she was collaborating with these two remarkable women. Her work was also influenced by Benny Andrews, who was her resident instructor during her time at Spelman.

However, life happened, she rebooted her art career after a 35-year hiatus to raise 10 children and work in education. Her mixed media collage work is described as vibrant, bold, edgy and moving. Her work reflects and records human relationships, love, faith and moments in time and place.

Her work has been in exhibited at the Detroit Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, in Windsor, Canada, Art Prize in Grand Rapids, the Essence Festival in New Orleans, the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Bombay Sapphire competition. She is the 2018 national second place winner of the Bombay Sapphire Artisan series. Her work was exhibited at the Versace Mansion and Miami Scope Art Basel.

Her work is in the homes of many private collectors across the nation, including the Director of the Detroit Institute of Arts, Salvador Pons and his wife Alex May.

As she rises, she brings along other artists and encourages them to grow and rise.