Public Art Gallery

Missouri City’s Black History Month Exhibit features five local artists: Mathieu JN Baptiste, Teri Madison, Mikal Boston, Wayne Bell, and Sacha Lazar. Their works will be on display through March 3, 2023. 

Mathieu JN Baptiste

Mathieu is of Haitian ancestry and his rich heritage attributes to his impeccable ability of infusing culture and art. He is a self-taught, visual artist known for his paintings, murals, and metal sculptures. The core of his artistic prowess is his belief that art should teach, heal, and inspire. Mathieu’s influences are of the Mannerist movement and Surrealist era. These styles are seen throughout his work. Mathieu’s pieces are based on oppressed subjects and populations unsung stories and harsh realities that are voiceless and sometimes never expressed. www.mathieujeanbaptiste.com

Teri Madison

Growing up in a military culture allowed Teri to travel around the world starting at a young age and develop a deep care and appreciation for people. This is part of why she is so drawn to drawing people. Teri started trying to express herself through art when she was a toddler. Her first “stick figured masterpiece” was a family portrait that covered her parent’s living room wall. Needless to say, they were not happy. As a result, she quickly learned to work on paper, though she still enjoys drawing big. www.metalrabbitstudio.org

Mikal Boston 

Growing up with an artist for a mother, it was inevitable that Mikal developed a deep love for art at an early age. It wasn’t until Mikal started working as an elementary art teacher in 2017, encouraging students to be confident in their art, that she found the confidence to start creating art of her own again. Mikal officially joined her mom’s studio in 2017 when she started creating paintings with a focus in magical realism and black female representation. www.metalrabbitstudio.org

Wayne Bell

Houston based artist Wayne Bell gew up in Chicago, IL. His work consists of using oil paints along with a sketching technique known as “crosshatching,” a refined bush stroke. When describing his body of work, Wayne calls the movement “Atmospherism” because it depicts what can be made from time and space. Atmospherism reflects how things can be shifted, molded, and synchronized into climates unto themselves. www.waynebellart.com

Sacha Lazar

As a painter, Sacha is bound only by her internal story and has endless opportunities to express through color, texture and composition. Her work has multiple influences, from her family’s roots in Haiti, to her early childhood in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to her current home in Houston where she’s dedicated her career to the community sector. Sacha feels compelled to try to express the beauty and elements of mysticism in her heritage that remain undervalued under seemingly endless socio-economic and political challenges.