Artist BIO

I am Martha A. Wade — an artist, a storyteller, a keeper of legacies. My brush moves with purpose, capturing the beauty, the struggle, and the undeniable strength of the human spirit. My work once danced in dreams, weaving symbols and constellations across painted skies. Now, it stands like a mirror in the storm — reflecting our struggles, our triumphs, and the light that breaks through the cracks. I paint the present, but always with an eye toward what we can become.

Art runs in my blood. My father, Eugene “Eda” Wade, was a Chicago muralist of the 1960s, painting walls that spoke to a people, a movement, a moment in time. He was also a teacher, shaping young artists with the same steady hands that shaped me. Before he passed, we planned a show together — a collaboration between past and present. Today, I honor him by weaving his work into mine, creating something new from what he left behind. When I collage my father’s work with my own, it feels like a conversation across time — his lines meet my colors, his wisdom meets my wonder. The gold leaf catches the light like hope, the wood hums with the energy of roots reaching deep, and every layer tells a story of connection.

My creative practice is a reflection of that merging — of legacy and innovation. I create mixed media pieces that bring together oil, ink, acrylic, paper collage, and metal leaf on natural wood. The wood itself is more than a surface — it’s a symbol. It speaks of our connection to nature, our roots, and the ties that bind us to each other.

Like my Professor father, I am an educator. But I don’t just teach art — I hand my students a mirror and ask them to see their power. I show them how to shape their dreams with steady hands and fearless hearts, knowing they can create beauty from the broken, light from the shadows. I remind them that their creativity is a force, that their stories deserve to be seen and heard.

As Co-Founder and Creative Director of the Women’s LIVE Artist Studio (WLAS) at Navy Pier, I lead with a vision of empowerment. WLAS is a sanctuary where artists shine, create, and thrive creating transformative work. I have had the honor of curating and leading international art shows. Most recently, we showcased our collective creativity at the 2025 Venice Biennale, where our work echoed across the globe. We also had the privilege of showing at SCOPE International Art Show during Art Basel Miami, bringing our vision to an even larger stage.

I am also a founding artist of Pigment International and a Paint the City artist — committed to using art as a tool for transformation and collective storytelling. As Creative Director at Connect Gallery in Hyde Park, I cultivate spaces where artists’ visions take shape and community is built through creativity.

Over the years, I have created more than 200 works that now live in galleries, museums, and private collections worldwide. But beyond the canvas, my mission remains the same: to create, to uplift, and to remind the world that art is not just what we make — it’s who we are.

notable exhibitions + awards

• In Retrospect – Blanc Gallery – Chicago, IL – March 2025

• Chronicles of Venus – Women’s LIVE Artist Studio, European Cultural Centre, Personal Structures – Palazzo Bembo, Venice, Italy – Apr to Nov 2024

• Small Works 15th Annual Show – Elephant Room Gallery – Chicago, IL – December 2024

• Nordstrom Artist Feature – Black History Month Showcase – Nordstrom Chicago – February 2024 & 2025

• SCOPE International Contemporary Art Fair – Miami Art Week, Miami Beach, FL – December 2023

• 6th Annual 12x12 Show – Elephant Room Gallery, Chicago IL – December 2023

• Silver Room Block Party – The Vibes Group Show, curated by Martha A. Wade, Connect Gallery – July 2023

• Artist In Residence – Navy Pier, Fifth Third Family Pavilion, Chicago, IL – Feb to Mar, 2023

• We’ve Been Doing It – Women’s Empowerment Show, West Town Chamber of Commerce, Chicago, IL – February 2023

• Culture – Ohio Black Fine Art Expo, KBK Foundation Group Show, Columbus, OH – October 2022

• The Best Side – Group Show, The Beverly Arts Center, Beverly, IL – September 2022

• Blaqe Gold – Group Show (curated by Martha A. Wade), Blaqe Everyday Collective, Chicago IL – June 2022

• Hidden Gems – Black History Month Artist Feature, The Goodman Theatre, Chicago IL – February 2022

• United Airlines Artist Feature – O’hare Airport United Executive Lounge, Chicago IL – February 2022

• Florecer – All Woman Group Show (curated by Martha A. Wade), Connect Gallery, Chicago IL – August 2021

• 12 x 12 Annual Holiday Exhibition – Elephant Room Gallery, Benefiting Earth’s Remedies, Chicago IL – December 2020

• We Are the Black Gold of the Sun – Solo Art Exhibition, Blanc Gallery, Chicago IL – October 2020

• Art of the City – Common Ground Benefit Exhibition, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago IL – December 2019

• Wade in the Waters of Our Ancestors – Father and Daughter Show, South Side Community Art Center, Chicago IL – July 2019

• Artist in Residence – The WNDR Museum, Chicago IL – June 2019

• The Love Affair Continues – 15 Year Anniversary Exhibit, DuSable Museum of African American History – February 2019

• Chicago Top5 – Group Exhibition, Connect Gallery, Chicago IL – July 2018

• Forty– Solo Exhibition, The Belmont, Chicago IL – April 2018

• Harlem Fine Arts Show – Riverside Church, Harlem, NY – February 2018

• Aqua Art Miami – South Beach Hotel, Miami, FL – December 2017

• American Justice | She Ain't Blind – Group Show, Steele Elliott Design, Chicago, IL – August 2017

• Farewell 44 | A Tribute to Barack Obama – NYCH Art Gallery, Group Exhibition, Chicago IL – April 2017

• Images of Inspiration & Hope – Noyes Cultural Art Center, Group Exhibition, Evanston IL – February 2017

• Spectrum Miami – Art Basel, Miami FL – December 2016

• Harlem Fine Arts Show – Life Creative, Chicago IL – December 2016

• I, Be – Group Show, Elephant Room Gallery, Chicago IL – September 2016

• Everything Must Go – Heaven Gallery, Chicago IL – October 2016

• 100 Canvases – Group Show and Art Auction, The Silver Room, Chicago IL – July 2016

• Emerging Artist Award – South Side Community Art Center, Art Auction, Art Institute Chicago – May 2016

• Music & Soul – Louis Armstrong Anniversary Exhibit - Beverly Art Center, Gallery Guichard, The Arts Bank, Chicago IL – April 2016

• Black Creativity Exhibit – The Museum of Science and Industry – February 2016

• Square Foot Art Basel Miami Redux – Projects Gallery, Miami FL – December 2015 & 2016

• Oak Park Mini Mural Project – Artist Outdoor Mural, Oak Park IL – September 2015

• Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series – Semi Finalist, Gallery Guichard, Chicago IL – November 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015

• The Native Series – Group art show and charity event, The Creative Space, Chicago IL – June 2015

• Bare Strokes IV, V, and VI – Live body painting event, LoCollective, Chicago IL - June, August, December 2015

• The Collaboration of Sexy – Collaborative Exhibition, Galleryna19, Oak Park IL, May 2015

• Harlem Fine Arts Show – Merchandise Mart, Chicago IL – November 2014 & November 2015

• Alpha Female – A Look Into the Feminine Energy by Reisha and Martha, UFAT Gallery, Chicago IL – August 2015

• K.L.E.O Community Family Life Center – 8th Annual Benefit Gala, Live painting and art auction, Chicago IL – August 2014 & 2015

• Golden Award Recipient, The Peace Project – Landmark Arts Building, Whole 9 Gallery, New York NY – December 2014

• Made of Stardust – Solo Art Exhibition, Galleryna19, Oak Park IL – September 2014

• Home is Where the Art Is – AllUsWe art collective group show, Galleryna19, Oak Park IL – June 2014

• Diaspora: The Art of Blackness – Group Art Show, NYCH Art Gallery, Chicago IL – August 2013

• Twitter Art Exhibit – International Group Show, Art Division, Los Angeles, CA – July 2013

• Bread & Circus – AllUsWe Art Collective Group Show, Definitive Selection, Chicago Il – July 2013

• Infusion Project Art Revolution – Live painting events, Beauty Bar, Chicago IL – December 2012