ARTIST STATEMENT
I dislike the rough and grainy texture of a new canvas. To prepare my canvas, I recycle leftover paint from my last painting. The foundation of every painting I make references the past and creates a new story. I feel that my responsibility as an artist is to act almost as a historian and document what is happening globally and locally. I feel my responsibility as a member of my community is to uplift, encourage, and engage with those around me. I use intense colors, bold symbolism, and expressive brushwork to provoke emotion from my audience to spark introspection and conversation. I believe conversations are the first step toward creating solutions to the world’s problems.
ARTIST BIO
Bree Gilliam is a Buffalo-based visual artist and Buffalo State University graduate whose oil portrait paintings celebrate and uplift those shaping her local community. Through expressive brushwork and storytelling, she aims to depict her subjects’ individuality and essence. Her work has been exhibited at Burchfield Penney Art Center, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, and Buffalo Arts Studio. In 2023, Gilliam was selected as an artist-in-residence at Hunt Art Gallery. In 2026, Gilliam demonstrated her commitment to community empowerment by unveiling her mural titled Bright Days, in collaboration with Buffalo AKG Art Museum and Evergreen Health Services at 3070 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, NY.
Gilliam has received over ten academic awards and scholarships during her time at Buffalo State. These include the Dean’s Award for Excellence in the School of the Arts and Sciences, Robert C. and Marilyn Wilson Painting Scholarship, and the SUNY Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship. In 2026, she received the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Grant for Support for Artists.
© Bree Gilliam