Gary Tyler
Born and raised in Houston, Texas during the turbulent 50's, Alvin Roy is a product of the Civil Rights transformation that swept through the United States. His parents fought against the South's Jim Crow laws and preserved family traditions dating back from before the Civil War, leaving Alvin with a strong historic legacy that informs and strengthens his art.
After graduating from Houston Technical Institute, Alvin Roy studied at Pratt Institute in New York, before enlisting with the United States Marine Corps at the end of the war in Vietnam.
Alvin Roy's time in the Marine Corps allowed him to travel internationally and learn new cultural art traditions and techniques. While stationed in Okinawa, Roy learned traditional Japanese watercolor techniques from a local master. With this meditative practice, each artwork embodied a soul that transcended its medium.
Apart from his extensive art career, Alvin Roy advocates for the abilities of teenagers and young adults who have special needs and provides professional mainstream art experiences through his non-profit, 1-On-1 Art, Inc. The focus and objective of this organization is to provide neurodiverse young adults with an opportunity to explore art as a means of creative expression within a supportive and inclusive environment.
Allison Glenn
Allison Glenn is a curator and writer focusing on the intersection of art and publics, through public art, biennials, special projects, and major new commissions by a wide range of contemporary artists. She was Co-Curator of Counterpublic Triennial 2023. Previous roles include Senior Curator at New York's Public Art Fund, Associate Curator, Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges, and Curatorial Associate & Publications Manager with Prospect New Orleans.
Glenn was listed as one of the 2022 ArtNews Deciders and on the 2021 Observer Arts Power 50 List, receiving recognition as Guest Curator for Promise, Witness, Remembrance (Speed Museum, Louisville, Kentucky, 2021) an exhibition that reflected on the life of Breonna Taylor, centered on her portrait painted by Amy Sherald. The New York Times selected the exhibition as one of the Best Art Exhibitions of 2021. She is curator of Gary Tyler: We are the Willing and Public Matter: New Forms, on view through September 6 at Library Street Collective.
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Gary Tyler bio courtesy of Library Street Collective, photo credit: Dorian Hill
Allison Glenn bio courtesy of Glenn, photo credit: Grace Roselli, Pandora's BoxX Project