Real Talk

Through colorful collage, Detroit artist Judy Bowman tells vibrant stories of the Black experience.

A MAN IN A JAUNTY JACKET A sits cross-legged, trumpet in hand. Behind him, dancers and musicians vibe in a framed portrait. The image seems to float off the page-multidimensional, in medium and in meaning. It's the work of Judy Bowman, who draws from her past to depict Black life through acrylic paint and snipped swatches of paper. Although Bowman came late to a career in art, her mixed-media pieces can be found in places like the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Georgetown University Library. Interview with Nikki Miller-Ka

NM When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

JB When I was in kindergarten, I wanted crayons, but we didn't have any at home. So I asked my teacher if I could go to the bathroom. When I was in the stall, I started stuffing crayons down my socks to take home. But I guess I was in the bathroom a little too long-the teacher came in and I was mid-thievery. I don't remember if she called my mom or told me to put them back, but I knew then I really wanted to be an artist.

NM You grew up in Detroit and went to college in Atlanta. How did they differ?

JB In Detroit, we had a middle-class life. Cut the grass on Saturday, go to church on Sunday. We had dinner at five o'clock every day. Father went to work, and Mother did all the cooking. I wasn't too political or abreast of the news and things that were going on. When I went to Atlanta, it was during the height of the Afrocentrism movement of the '70s. I was immersed in Black pride, Black culture, Black independence, Black leadership. My eyes opened to the power and the culture of the pride of Black people.

NM How does your art reflect that?