By Chloe McNeill
Brown working in studio space. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
The photos on the wall are of the women in her family who reflect who she is. Brown’s mother coming from Panama reflects her own strength and resilience. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Brown in workspace with in progress dress fabrication and unnamed, activated garment. The unnamed garment will eventually be included in another body of work. In 2021, she performed in it while riding a horse in Tuscan, Alabama. Native Americans painted themselves in order to bond in with their horses in combat and form a stronger kinship with them. She respected the custom and, as a woman, desired to be dressed in a wedding gown to prepare for a communion-like ceremony. Brown saw the white dress as a canvas as she was painting the horse. The imprinted paint on the dress mimics the paint on the horse. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
These cards are somehow related to different religions from the early 1900-1950s. If Brown were to utilize these postcards, she considered what she would write to women of the time. She uses these in her spiritual practice. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Taken by Eddie Talaske in Brooklyn. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Files to be digitally scanned, created a digital layout, and sent it to the production house to print. On cotton, chiffon, organza. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
A fellow artist, Natovian McLeod, coming to view De La Brown’s studio. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
From the mid 1900s. Red Cross nurses were predominantly female. Typically, women flew the flag to signify a secure area. She enjoys utilizing this as reflection in her studio space. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
House form – part of an installation project for Peabody fellowship. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Two dresses on the wall – smaller dress is her first communion dress. Garment on the right – feels like a cloak of a priest or scientist. These two garments will be once a piece. Photo by Chloe McNeill. 
Originally, in the archive, this grocery list was next to her setlist for her show. This was a holiday grocery list including Christmas candies. Brown imagined Billie backstage writing this list for a holiday party. As a woman, she learned how to take care of others and how to nurture others through food. Her grandmother taught her how to love, so she imagined Billie caring for special others this way. These are things you don’t see about Billie holiday, the smaller things are the things we don’t celebrate enough. Brown took the list and blew it up and printed it onto organza to make it feel like a memory bigger than life. She found vintage objects that probably would’ve been in her pantry during the time. These objects and this list remind us that she is human and needs to be loved in the same way she puts out love for others. Photo by Chloe McNeill.
Baltimore School for Arts has recently welcomed BSA alum Nicoletta Daríta de la Brown as their new “Artist In Residence” for the Visual Arts department.
Daríta de la Brown is a chamána (shaman) who has won numerous awards and comes from a long line of healers. She is an interdisciplinary artist, sculptor, filmmaker, and performer.
She identifies as Black Latinx and is proud to be a first-generation American-born Panamanian. Brown has had many performances across her career that have taken place at The National Aquarium, The Walters Art Museum, The Phillips Collection, The Smithsonian and much more.
This residency will establish new connections with established artists, foster emerging partnerships with various organizations, and provide opportunities for students of visual art to study business and administration in the arts.
The work Brown has begun for her students is one she is very committed to continue. At BSA, Brown will have the opportunity to mentor and teach students by guiding them through their own creative processes.
Brown works in her new office and studio area on the sixth floor. Students are always welcome to come in for whatever they need, whether it be advice, a critique, or simply a hug.
And her door is always wide open—it even has a very inviting cat-shaped doormat. For her scheduled studio hours, she is in her office on Mondays and Fridays, but she is always accessible to her students whenever and wherever they may need her.
This residency is a testament to her creative prowess and highlights her expertise as an educator and mentor.
Additionally, Brown is a Hopkins Public Humanities fellow. Currently, her sixth floor studio is occupied by the work she is producing for this residency. She accesses the archives and conducts research as a fellow, and she uses her art practice to reflect on her discoveries.
As she transitioned into her BSA residency, this fellowship was extended through this year. In her artistic pursuit, she is free to create anything she desires.
In her current practice, through performance art, self portrait photography and videography, Brown plans to study and respond to Special Collections objects that center black women.
Brown continues to ask herself and her audience “What would I say to the women of these times? How can I make their memories bigger than life? How do I make sure that these women are not erased or lost in the archives?”
In order to give viewers a glimpse into the daily life of Black women of the past and to share her own personal narrative of inspiration from her family line, Brown combines her spiritual practice with the dynamic art of storytelling by analyzing archives in her work.
The BSA community is delighted to welcome Brown back to the school and looks forward to seeing the new works she will create during her residency.
Her presence at the school will undoubtedly be a major highlight of the year and will serve as an inspiration to the students.
To contact this writer, email Muse Newspaper at musebsa@bsfa.org.
Featured photo of Nicoletta Daríta de la Brown, by Chloe McNeill for the BSA Muse