Edwards, Lynthia, (Blown Bubblegum)

"Blown Bubblegum" by Lynthia Edwards 22 x15 inches, mixed media on paper --unframed Lynthia Edwards is a Birmingham, Alabama-based multidisciplinary artist best known for her collage works that present the complex emotions associated with Black girls’ experiences in the American South. Edwards sources images from her current life both to channel the racial and gendered isolation she experienced as a child and express the limitations of her strict, Pentecostal upbringing, with her collage subjects as distinctive versions of her younger self. Born in 1978 in Alexander City, Alabama, Edwards studied at the Art Institute of Atlanta (AA in Graphic Design, 1998), Auburn University of Montgomery (B.A., Art Education, 2002), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (M.A. Art Education, 2012). She is the recipient of many awards, including the Purchase Award from the Alabama Art Colony in both 2005 and 2006, and “Best of Show” in the Montgomery Art Guild and Regions Bank Exhibition in 2019. In 2021, she earned the Alabama State Council for the Arts Fellow Award. In 2019, Edwards participated in the Gee’s Bend Quilters Retreat at the Alabama Folk School in Nauvoo, Alabama. She later exhibited alongside famed quilters Tinnie and Minnie Pettway and Claudia Pettway Charley in Good Trouble: Civil Rights Past and Present (February 2-March 26, 2021) at the Kentuck Art Center in Northport, Alabama. Other recent exhibitions have been presented at Untitled Art Miami Beach 2021, the Gadsden Museum of Art and Tennessee Valley Museum of Art. Believing in its transformative power, she taught art for 13 years to adjudicated male offenders at the Alabama Department of Youth Services School District. Edwards’ work can be found in numerous public collections and the private collections of philanthropist Beth Rudin DeWoody, businessman Ric Lewis, and finance executive Reginald Browne. She is currently represented by Richard Beavers Gallery, New York. CV: VISUAL ARTIST & EDUCATOR Education * Master of Arts in Art Education | University of Alabama at Birmingham (2012) * Bachelor of Arts in Art Education | Auburn University at Montgomery (2002) * Associate of Arts in Graphic Design | Art Institute of Atlanta (1998) Teaching & Professional Experience Art Educator i3 Academy / Woodlawn Community Charter School | Birmingham, AL * Facilitates visual arts instruction for elementary students, emphasizing the transformative power of creativity. * Develops curriculum that integrates local cultural history with contemporary artistic practices. Art Instructor Alabama Department of Youth Services School District | Mount Meigs, AL | (13 Years) * Utilized art as a therapeutic and rehabilitative tool for adjudicated male offenders. * Developed specialized programming to foster self-expression and vocational skill-building within a secure facility. Selected Exhibition History Solo Exhibitions * 2024 | Zippity Doo Da, Scope Miami Beach (Presented by Richard Beavers Gallery) * 2023 | Baptism Sunday, Richard Beavers Gallery, New York, NY * 2021 Solo Presentation, Gadsden Museum of Art, Gadsden, AL * 2021 Solo Presentation, Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, Tuscumbia, AL Selected Group Exhibitions & Art Fairs * 2025 | Black Joy is a Revolutionary Act, Richard Beavers Gallery, New York, NY * 2025 | EXPO CHICAGO, Richard Beavers Gallery * 2024 | Roots and Routes, Richard Beavers Gallery, New York, NY * 2022 | RBG - Our Primary Colors, Richard Beavers Gallery * 2021 | Untitled Art Miami Beach, Miami, FL, Richard Beavers Gallery * 2021 | Good Trouble: Civil Rights Past and Present, Kentuck Art Center, Northport, AL Public & Private Collections * Alabama Art Colony | Purchase Awards (2005, 2006) * Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art (at Auburn University) * 21c Museum Hotel * Montgomery Art Guild / Regions Bank | Montgomery, AL * Private Collection of Eric G. Johnson (Vice President of the Board of Trustees (PAMM) * Private Collection of Reginald M. Browne (Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at (PAFA) * Private Collection of Beth Rudin DeWoody * Private Collection of Michael and Susan Hort * Private Collection of the Late Congressman John Lewis Awards & Honors * 2021 | Fellowship Award, Alabama State Council on the Arts * 2019 | Best of Show, Montgomery Art Guild and Regions Bank Exhibition * 2019 | Participant, Gee’s Bend Quilters Retreat (Alabama Folk School) Community Leadership * Founder, Black Unicorns Matter: An initiative dedicated to mentoring and providing visibility for Black girls in the arts. * Co-Founder, DC Sparkle Squad: Using artistic outreach to promote civic engagement and voter registration.