Michelle René Cobb, Artist-in-Residence, Borgo Santo Pietro, Tuscany, Italy
Michelle René Cobb is a globally recognized African American contemporary landscape painter, celebrated for her vibrant palette and masterful plein air technique. She works primarily on location, fully immersing herself in the sights, sounds, and cultures of each environment. This direct engagement allows her to capture the essence of a place with a vitality and immediacy that studio work and photos alone cannot replicate. Her paintings explore the interplay of light, architecture, and figure–ground relationships, weaving these elements into visual narratives rich with color, texture, and emotion.
Michelle began her professional career as a designer for Time-Life Books, later making history as the first Black Art Director at Sports Illustrated. There, she created campaigns for some of the world’s most iconic sporting events, including the Olympics, NBA, NFL, US Open, Kentucky Derby, World Series, NCAA, Indy 500, and Super Bowl. She went on to co-found the New York–based design firm Spellman, Bostic & Williams, serving distinguished clients such as CBS, Bell Atlantic, Citibank, Time Warner, Wynton Marsalis, and the United Negro College Fund.
Alongside her design achievements, Michelle built an award-winning career in education spanning more than 30 years. She taught at the University of Maryland—where she launched the school’s first computer graphics program—as well as the University of Delaware, Montgomery College of Art and Design, Delaware College of Art & Design, Lincoln University, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Associates. For 12 years, she served as Chair of the Studio Art Department at Georgetown Day School during her 20-year term.
Her love for painting was cultivated during a 15-year apprenticeship with master painter Edward Loper, Sr., whose influence deepened her understanding of color, light, and the expressive potential of oil painting. Inspired by the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements, she developed a distinctive plein air style that reflects her travels and lived experiences.
Michelle’s global residencies include projects in France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Martha’s Vineyard, Washington, D.C., and New York City. These immersive experiences have profoundly shaped her artistic vision, enabling her to respond authentically to diverse landscapes, cultures, and histories. Her most recent residency, at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, focused on urban plein air painting—merging her passion for natural landscapes with the vibrancy, architecture, and dynamic rhythms of New York’s cityscape.
Her work has been exhibited across the United States and Europe and is held in prestigious collections, including the U.S. Supreme Court—home to her photo silkscreen print, Harlem Kids—and the Black Graphic Design Artists Initiative at Stanford University Libraries, Special Collections. In 2024, she served on the Board of Directors of The Duke Ellington Fund at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Michelle René remains dedicated to her artistic journey and mentoring emerging artists. Her life is a testament to her exceptional contributions to the art world, her tireless dedication to teaching, and her pioneering achievements in the realm of art and design.
EXHIBITIONS
2026 • April 6, 2026 Opening: Solo Show – Woman’s National Democratic Club • Washington, DC
2025 • School of Visual Arts Open Studios • New York, NY
2025 • Still Wet, School of Visual Arts Gallery, New York, NY
2023 • The US Supreme Court • “Harlem Kids” photosilksreen
2022 • IMAGINE: Celebrating Black Female Creativity: Featherstone Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard
2021 • Harlem Fine Arts Show • Virtual/International
2019 • Harlem Fine Arts Show • Howard University • Washington, DC
2017 • Solo Show – Woman’s National Democratic Club • Washington, DC
2016 • Group Show, Can Serrat, Spain
2015 • Solo Show – Woman’s National Democratic Club • Washington, DC
2015 • Chevy Chase Women’s Club • Chevy Chase, MD
2014 • Georgetown Day School Faculty Show • Washington, DC
2013 • Harlem Fine Arts Show • Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2013 • Chevy Chase Women’s Club • Chevy Chase, MD
2012 • University of Utah AP Readers Studio Art Show • Salt Lake City, Utah
2011 • Montgomery College of Visual Art and Design Faculty Show • Takoma Park, MD
2011 • Women’s National Democratic Club • Washington, DC
2011 • All Island Art Show • Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2010 • All Island Art Show • Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2009 • All Island Art Show • Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2008 • All Island Art Show • Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2007 • All Island Art Show • Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2008 • Venezuelan Embassy • Washington, DC
2008 • Art for Obama • Washington, DC
2007 • All Island Art Show • Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2006 • All Island Art Show • Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2005 • National Black Fine Arts Show • New York, NY
2005 • Edward Loper and His Students •
Orange Street Gallery • Wilmington, DE
2004 • Edward Loper and His Students •
Orange Street Gallery • Wilmington, DE
2004 • White Linen Nights •
Thelma Harris Gallery • Oakland, CA
2001 • Edward Loper and His Students •
River Front Museum • Wilmington, DE
ARTIST RESIDENCIES
Summer Residency: School of Visual Arts, New York City
Artist-in-Residence: The Marchutz School of Painting: Aix-en-Provence, France
West Africa Art Safari: Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria
Edward Loper, Sr, and Students: Quebec City, Canada
The Tasis School, Les Tapies, France
Painting Residency: Umbria, Italy
Artist-in-Residence: Can Serrat, El Bruc, Spain
Artist-in-Residence: Borgo Santa Pietro, Tuscany, Italy
