Selected Exhibitions

First Annual Exhibit of Paintings, Sculpture and Prints by Members of the National Conference of Artists; Jefferson City, MO, Art Gallery Richardson Fine Arts Center, Lincoln University, 1962

The Evans-Tibbs Collection: Selections from the Permanent Holdings. 19th and 20th Century American Art; Sixth District Police Headquarters, Washington, DC, 1985

Choosing: An Exhibit of Changing Perspectives in Modern Art and Art Criticism by Black Americans, 1925-1985; Hampton University, VA, 1985

Robert Dilworth and Mary Reed Daniel; Isobel Neal Gallery, Chicago, IL, 1987

The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art; San Antonio Museum of Art, TX, 1994

Black Eclectic; Muse Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2004

Soul! Art from the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Ohio Historical Center, Columbus, 2010

Mary Reed Daniel was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1946. She received her art education at Southern Illinois University and later studied with Allen Lunak in Chicago.

In the late 1960s, she became a vital part of Chicago’s artistic community. In 1968, Daniel co‑founded a communal gallery called 353 East on East 31st Street with artists Bill Daniel, Howard Mallory, and José Williams, reinforcing her role in Chicago’s collaborative arts scene.

Daniel worked predominantly in watercolor and dye on paper, often using hand‑made paper, and focused primarily on the female figure, bringing an intimate, expressive touch to her subjects. Occasionally, she explored mixed media and monotype with watercolor, adding depth and texture to her compositions.

In 1978, she received the Milliren Company of New York Purchase Award, an honor recognizing her work.

Her works are included in the national collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, affirming her lasting significance. She is also featured in Gumbo Ya Ya: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Women Artists, edited by Dr. Leslie King‑Hammond and bell hooks.

Photo: Chicago Tribune, Thu, Oct 03, 1968