BLM, 2020
LaToya Marlin
Original Location: 435 Massachusetts Avenue
I painted a girl holding a Black Lives Matter protest sign. My piece is bold and simplistic so that everyone can tune in and see the message. I used red, black, and green to pull it together. Art gives us all the opportunities to express ourselves and our hurts, and our want for change.
Artist Bio
LaToya Marlin sees her paintings and mixed media work as small fragments and pieces of herself— vibrant bright colors, displays of love, friendship, and sisterhood. Her art pushes and speaks for all women to be individuals and love the skin they are in.
Always an art lover, Marlin studied art and photography at Arsenal Technical High School and at Indiana University in Bloomington. She comes from a family of artists. Her late grandfather Sherman Marlin was a sculptor, mask maker, and jewelry maker. When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, art became that outlet for Marlin.
One of her biggest motivations behind her art is giving back. Marlin tries to make it a habit to give away just as much art as she sells to bring happiness to the lives of others and pay it forward.
Marlin’s first art show was in February 2013. She has since continued her art, creating over 600 paintings. This includes works that have been in various fundraisers for breast cancer research and domestic violence care support.
Marlin’s work has also been featured in the Meet the Artists series at Central Library as well as at the Indianapolis International Airport. Some of Marlin’s work has even hung in Indianapolis’ Mayor’s office.