Andrea's profile
Andrea Downs
she/her
Andrea is a social practice and mixed media artist and educator who has been teaching art in public and independent schools since 2004. She earned her BA and MA in Art Education summa cum laude from The Ohio State University. Central to her work is the exploration of identity and the value of relationships and community. She has exhibited solo shows at The Mint Museum, Center for the Arts Perimeter Gallery, Winthrop University, UNC Charlotte, and C3 Lab and worked in partnership with a number of community organizations, independent artists, and institutions. She has been the recipient of grants and awards for both her studio and teaching practice. She lives with her husband and two children in Baltimore County, where she is the middle school art teacher at the St. Paul’s School for Boys, MS Arts Department Chair, and the Director of TSPS Galleries and Exhibitions.
Artist Statement
I am a social practice and mixed media artist. Through my work, I observe, respond to and amplify personal and collective stories with an emphasis on women’s experiences and the value of relationships and connectivity. I use found and personal heirlooms and objects, depictions of nature, text, and symbolic imagery to create work that explores identity, sense of place and belonging. Some of my work focuses specifically on questioning the ever-present and harmful systems of power and misogyny that impact my life and continues to threaten the freedoms and liberties of all women living in the United States.
In tribute to many of the hundreds of women who continue to connect through my community art project, The Laundry Line; I created the Balsa Butterflies–a series of 76 painted and printed wood panels in 2022. Each butterfly honors one of many women and nonbinary people who have stood next to me and each other in community.
Image below:
The Balsa Butterflies–76 painted and printed wood panels honoring and celebrating important women in my life.
Linocut, watercolor, pen, 76 - 4"x4” panels
Created between: January 1, 2021 - March 15, 2021
The panels were gifted to each woman and sent to them through the mail beginning on January 1, 2022, one year to the day from when I started creating them.
The poster was designed by my good friend and artist, Karen Spears (Butterfly #1 - The Red-Spotted Purple).
