Rising Stars: Meet Charlotte Riley Webb of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlotte Riley Webb.

Hi Charlotte, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The uniqueness of my story is not just about me. It includes an amazing man and artist in the person of my late husband and fellow visual artist, Lucious Webb. I am a painter and he was a sculptor. We were not only able to physically build a house and blend our lives together for thirty years, but our art forms as well, in the medium we called “sculpted paintings”. The culmination of our endeavors were on full display recently at the Southwest Arts Center in Fulton County, GA. The experiences of our individual and collective growth were highlighted in the “Love and Legacy” documentary by our filmmaker daughter, Angela Webb. This is our story….

Charlotte Riley-Webb has considered understanding her purpose in life early, a blessing. As a painter, the arts have given her a visual platform, writing poetry, a way of expressing her innermost feelings, playing music as a guitarist, a way to explore the unknown, and cooking a way to share. These, all art forms, she believes, have rounded out her life and developed her character. The Cleveland Institute of Art was Charlotte’s launching platform, and studying with some of the country’s most premier artists throughout the years, her pathway to her artistic development. She has demonstrated her strength and understanding of figurative as well as abstract art forms in her unique, bold, colorful, rhythmic style. Mentoring upcoming artists and teaching has expanded her footprint to bring along others on her artistic journey. Exhibiting in museums and fine art galleries internationally as well as throughout the states, illustrating eight children’s books, and being a recipient of numerous awards and art residencies are among her achievements. Charlotte is represented by Zucot Art Gallery in Atlanta’s Castleberry Hills,

At Howard University Lucious Webb initially focused on architectural design and graphic arts as well as acquiring his teaching credentials. As a fine arts student, he became well equipped for his future fine art career. He taught art in the Washington, DC school system and later worked in the building trades; also a part of Lucious’s DNA, which gave him the knowledge, with his wife, Charlotte by his side, hammer in hand, to build their own home. He never abandoned his creative interests, and focused on developing his skills with various forms of sculptures well into his retirement years. Among Lucious’ artistic achievements, including exhibiting throughout the south with different arts organizations, was his invitation to the Smithsonian Museum to demonstrate and display his “twig sculpture” medium. He developed his “bas-relief sculpture” medium over several years working from the human figure, with model studio time shared with other artists. Of his many ventures, Lucious’ artistic career was his most fulfilling. The power couple, Charlotte and Lucious Webb were introduced to each other and blazed their way into the world of art together!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Walking onto an art college campus when at the time, I was one of three Black students was initially intimidating. I found myself working excessively hard to justify my reason for being there. Grateful that I was received well by my fellow classmates, while having to over achieve for a couple of my instructors. While overcoming the feeling of insecurity, I found solace and acceptance among arts organizations whom embraced the diaspora.

I also realized that my art forms and interests were multifaceted, which initially created a kind of restlessness to keep exploring and growing. But it also gave me the opportunity to understand myself and my needs and highlight them in personal, yet creative ways.

After an initial divorce, and remaining single for years, I met my evenly yoked partner whom I was blessed to journey through life and art with. Taking almost six years to physically build our home in Locust Grove, Georgia, with me having to learn building skills along the way, I learned the true meaning of patience. This was a true labor of love. While Lucious was always supportive of my art, he was slower to embrace his own. After our home was completed, we began building and combining our art forms together. We understood that the foundations of our lives and art were important, and that they needed to be rooted in mutual respect which we were able to achieve and sustain throughout our lives together.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a visual artist my career has journeyed through many pathways, My rhythmic style in my paintings on canvas and pastel works is my signature element. My art has been collected and recognized by a wide range of individuals whom trusted the credibility of my years. I had the priviledge of meeting Congressman John Lewis when chosen as one of thirteen artists initiating the opening of the Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, AL, as well as the remaining surviving participants. I’ve illustrated six childrens books and contributed to two others, one of which earned us an NAACP Image Award. Also, my “Rent Party Jazz” was selected by Viola Davis to animate and read on Storyline Online, a platform promoting literacy for youth sponsored by well known celebrities. I’ve exhibited all over the states and abroad in many solo and group exhibitions. Many of my solo exhibitions were created as a series of paintings averaging between 18 and 30 works, which included paintings, pastels and original hand-pulled silk-screen prints.The initial one was titled, “Stories of My America”, a series of twenty-five paintings in which I would supplemented my own stories by asking perfect strangers to tell me a story and then transform theirs into a painting to be included in the exhibit. During which time, I learned a lot about the common thread of humanity in my culture that runs through us all, I was always optimistic that it was positive and good and tried to illustrate that in those works.

I am proud of several things. One, that I have had the opportunity to build a life and each, our art career with a wonderful, creative spouse for thirty years, while maintaining our indivisualism. That I am continuing to grow as an artist and person, and through my faith, have remained grounded. I am also proud that I have maintained a class of art students at a nursing home, some of whom have been with me for the entire last eight years of my teaching there and have had their works regularly on display and had special art exhibitions of their work. Believing that knowledge is to be shared, I have been mentoring several upcoming artists of different ages and objectives over the years, helping them discover and establish their own art pathways. Continuing to grow myself, and sharing knowledge has always been at the forefront of what I’ve achieved. Watching the development of six inner city youth in Shreveport, Louisiana, over two summers of teaching, was one of the highlights of my career. My sculptor husband, Lucious, and I created our signature “sculpted painting” art for their then, new arts center, and left a piece of the Webb legacy there, which has also given me great pride.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
The arts, I feel, are central to our humanity, and our legacy. I believe that our history and culture are rooted in them. Artists tend to process visuals and our surroundings differently than most people. For me, this fact translates into 3:AM wake-ups and often overthinking. I find myself trying to complete the last stanza of a poem I’ve written, or how to add the last stroke to a painting I’m completing. It’s not just about what I see, it’s more about how I feel about what I see. The answers are located in my heart, more so than in my head. My heightened sensitivity won’t allow me to pass a person on the curve asking for help, and I not react to my late husband’s echoing voice in my ear saying “give him enough for a meal”. He made me better. The humility of my character has been realized in the many volunteer efforts that I have demonstrated throughout my life and my faith is the foundation on which it has been built. In some way, all of us can play a part in perserving arts and culture, if nothing more than sharing time and stories with our youth. The effort to pwerserve the arts is essential to our humanity.

Pricing:

• For professional artists, pricing for our work is based on cumulative knowledge over time, not just the time it took to create the art piece.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.charlotterileywebb.com
• Instagram: charlotterileywebb
• Facebook: charlotterileywebb.com