The work of Southern visionary artist Mary Proctor, or “Missionary Mary,” will be on view in a new two-year exhibition at the American Visionary Art Museum.
The solo exhibition, titled “The Strength to Be Joyful: Messages from Mary Proctor,” will debut Aug. 2 on the third floor of the museum’s Zanvyl A. Krieger Main Building.
“I am thrilled that The Strength to Be Joyful is the first exhibition to open under my leadership,” AVAM Executive Director Ellen Owens said in a statement. “It stands as a potent symbol for both AVAM’s incredible past work while demonstrating our future commitments to honoring diverse living visionary artists and promoting human creativity as an anecdote to hardship. Mary Proctor has never been honored with a solo exhibition at AVAM, and in this show her authentic voice shines not only through her artworks, but also in videos and quotes directly from Proctor herself.”
Proctor used art to cope after a fire claimed the life of her grandmother, who raised her in rural Florida.
Following that tragedy, Proctor received a vision to “Paint the door.” Her artworks feature handwritten messages and salvaged materials, including broken china, house paint, and flea market finds.
“Proctor’s work uses common objects to communicate powerful messages: Buttons, broken teacups, and well-worn toys adorn old painted doors, narrated by her inspirational writings,” Owens said. “Featuring 35 works in an immersive environment that mimics Proctor’s actual homestead, visitors journey through her personal experiences, uplifted by her buoyant attitude.”
In the upcoming exhibition at AVAM, Proctor’s art “invites viewers to reflect, heal, and carry forward the courage and joy that Mary has so generously shared for more than 30 years. Her doors don’t just open—they speak,” according to a news release.
“The Strength to Be Joyful reminds us never to lose hope, even during the most difficult of times,” Owens said. “I hope that people will pause their doom-scrolling to come and bask in positivity and raw artistic expression.”
