26th ANNUAL NO DEAD ARTISTS
International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Art
August 31 – October 22, 2022
Pull Quote
As a painter, narrative, spirituality, and emotion are themes that inspire my work.
Biography
[New Orleans, LA ::: b. 1981 - New Orleans, LA]
Alma Bryan Powell is a painter working in acrylic. She makes narrative paintings. The stories and emotions conveyed are usually autobiographical, often incorporating her own children into them. Alma typically works from photographs, having her children pose and then placing them into a different background. In her work, she sometimes utilizes Biblical passages that advise her how to be.
She lives and works in New Orleans, LA where she was born and raised. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Art from University of California at Davis and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Howard University.
Artist Statement
As a painter, narrative, spirituality, and emotion are themes that inspire my work. I work primarily in acrylic paint. Increasingly, I incorporate Biblical stories into my narrative work. I aim to capture the emotions of my subjects. The narrative and emotion are often autobiographical.
I paint the figures and background from different photographs that I piece together to make an image. This allows me to use my imagination to make the figures without completely working from my memory. I use the observation of someone or of a photograph because I enjoy getting the form down.
CV
EDUCATION
2005 University of California, Davis - MFA
2002 Howard University - BFA
EXHIBITIONS
2020 Second Story Gallery, Sisters Solidarity, New Orleans, LA
2019 Jazz and Heritage Gallery, Dialogue: A Group Exhibit, New Orleans, LA
2018 Contemporary Art Center, Sister Portraits exhibit and performance with Courtney Bryan and Amy Bryan at
Southern Sonic: A Sound and Experimental Music Festival, New Orleans, LA
2015 FLAG- NOLA Artists’ Banners for Katrina Installation designed by Michael Manjarris and
Artist Spaces, New Orleans, LA
Second Story Co-op Gallery, Amy Bryan, Alma Bryan Powell, Myesha Francis:
Recent Works, New Orleans, LA
2014 New Orleans Museum of Art, Reparation: Contemporary Artists from New Orleans curated by
Diego Cortez, New Orleans, LA
Second Story Co-op Gallery, Our Visions of Home: Recent Work of Amy Bryan and
Alma Bryan Powell, New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Public Library on Napoleon Ave., Good Stuff 4, curated by Bruce Davenport, New Orleans, LA
2012 The Art House, St. Tammany Art Association, The 47th National Juried Exhibition -“The Summer Show”,
Juried by Miranda Lash, Covington, LA
Poydras Center, Bryan and Powell 2012, New Orleans, LA
New Orleans African American Museum, Annual NCA/ MLK Show 2012, New Orleans, LA
COLLECTIONS
2014 Abide. New Orleans: Reparation. Imago Mundi: Reparation
2011 Boys with Building Blocks. Percent for Art Collection. Arts Council New Orleans