Local muralist and painter Brooklyn Doby will feature her artwork in an exhibit at Verona’s ART House 360 throughout the month of July.
ART House 360 is a multicultural nonprofit arts hub in Verona that works to increase access to arts education and programs. Its newest exhibit will feature Doby’s artwork, which is under the pseudonym B. Denae Artistry, and will have a mixer and class on pop art-style self-portraits. Doby was born and raised in Madison, but did attend middle and high school in Verona, so it feels like home for her.
Doby got her start in the arts as a muralist, but always had a passion for art since middle school and comes from a creative family.
“When I went to Verona High School, I had some really great art teachers to pursue it further,” Doby said. “My dad’s a music producer, songwriter, web designer. He has musicians in his family and photographers and all sorts of creative people.”
Doby’s mother is a drug and alcohol counselor. When it came time for Doby to attend college, she chose to merge what her parents did with her own passions to pursue art therapy. She attended Edgewood University — but ultimately chose not to pursue it further.
“It’s still a goal of mine. I didn’t know I needed my master’s to do the therapy aspect until after I graduated. Somehow I missed that part,” Doby said. “Since I graduated in 2020, I’ve been an entrepreneur.”
She started doing murals downtown during the George Floyd protests. Businesses asked her to do murals as a result. Doby has quite a few murals around Madison and one in Beaver Dam.
Doby decided that “murals were way too much” of her time for just one person to do as a hand painter. It would often take her months to complete projects — but she really loved art and wanted to try another path.
“I wanted to see if maybe I could sell my paintings, and so I started getting involved in community events to sell my artwork,” Doby said. “From there, I worked my way up to Art Fair On The Square, Art Fair Off The Square, and other major fine art shows around Madison.”
That transition has been great for Doby, she said. She’s been able to do it full-time for a while and is happy that her children can see their mother pursue her dreams.
Doby’s was found by ART House 360 at one of the art fairs around Madison. She spoke with Karisa Johnson, one of ART House 360’s founders, about her background as an artist, and the more confident Doby has become about her journey and ability.
“In the beginning, I didn’t think I was on this level as an art therapist yet because I haven’t been in school in so long, and I haven’t done the therapy aspect. But the more we talked, the more my confidence grew,” Doby says. “She was encouraging me … and by the end of it, I was like, ‘Okay. Yes. This is what I want to do. I want people to find beauty in themselves.’”
Doby’s art is pop art abstract-style portraits. The style blends art therapy and art to find beauty within oneself. Doby landed on this style after she tried to do self-portraits, but found the results awkward.
“I just never liked them. I didn’t think they looked like me,” Doby said. “When I graduated, I decided I was gonna attempt this for myself.”
Sometimes the work resembles her, sometimes not. Still, the expression and beauty from the abstract make it so you can flow freely and accentuate parts of yourself that you may be insecure about — but in a beautiful way, Doby said.
During Doby’s time at ART House 360, she will host a workshop on pop art-style self-portraits. In addition, a mixer will be hosted earlier in the month where Doby will share insights into her artistic journey, creative process, and inspiration behind her works.
Doby’s work will be up at ART House 360, 401 W Verona Ave., throughout July. The mixer will be held Thursday, July 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m. It is free to attend; no registration is required.
The workshop will be held July 22 and 29, starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $85.
