— Artis Lane—

Artis Lane (born Artis Marie Shreve in 1927) is a Canadian-American sculptor and painter renowned for her evocative portrayals of spiritual resilience, social justice, and the human condition. Born in North Buxton, Ontario—a historic Black settlement founded by formerly enslaved people who escaped via the Underground Railroad—Lane moved with her family to Ann Arbor, Michigan, at age two. There, she began cultivating her artistic talents. Lane studied at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and later became the first Black woman to enroll at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1951. Her early career flourished in Detroit, where she painted and sculpted portraits of prominent figures, including Governor George Romney and Mayor Coleman Young. She later lived and worked in Los Angeles and New Mexico before returning to Detroit. Lane's work spans oil painting, bronze sculpture, and collage, often exploring themes of metaphysical transformation and spiritual evolution. She has created portraits of numerous influential individuals, such as Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, and Presidents George H. W. Bush and Barack Obama. Notably, her bronze bust of abolitionist Sojourner Truth was unveiled in 2009 in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol, marking the first statue there to honor an African-American woman. Additionally, her sculpture of Rosa Parks is displayed in the Oval Office of President Joe Biden.Throughout her career, Lane has received numerous accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the California African American Museum in 2007 and the Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. Her art continues to inspire and uplift, reflecting a profound commitment to capturing the essence of the human spirit.