My Work, My Vision

Destiny Palmer currently is working at Thayer Academy and most recently was an Assistant Professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Palmer is trained as a painter but her work explores the intersections of painting, history and color, allowing it to blur the lines of painting, sculpture and installation. Palmer has participated in exhibitions at Antenna Gallery, The Colored Girls Museum, Automat Collective, Ely Center for the Arts, Vandermoot Gallery, Landmark College. Palmer has hosted workshops at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. Most recently Palmer was invited to speak on her relationship to Hans Hofmann at the Peabody Essex Museum. 
Palmer explores and investigates what it means to be an artist, educator and advocate for the arts. She has worked with various communities to create public art projects ranging from traditional murals to community engaged/lead mural to digitally created murals. Palmer has worked with MIT, Lifewtr, Saxby’s and Mural Arts Philadelphia. Some of her murals can be found at the Gallivan Community Center in Mattapan, Kendall Square Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. Creating art in public realms has been a focus for Destiny. “I love being able to work with a community to reclaim space. It is extremely important that communities consistently see themselves within their own neighborhood and have ownership of it. Many of these communities are undergoing immense change or are at the bottom of their cities priority list.” Destiny Palmer had the privilege to collaborate and envision a new Codman Square Park as their finalist artist. Palmer was the finalist and collaborating with Doug Kornfield on his revisioning of Gertrude Howes Park. Most recently Palmer is the finalist artist for the interior of Vine Street Community Center in Roxbury. 
Palmer received her Masters of Fine Arts in Painting from Tyler School of Art at Temple University and Bachelors in Fine Art in Painting at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Destiny was co-founder of Traditions Remixed, an artist collective whose goal is to create a supportive community for young artists, especially artists of color, encouraging collaboration and networking. Palmer served on Boston's Arts and Culture Team Mayor Marty Walsh. Palmer has also worked with organizations like Discover Roxbury, Dorchester Arts Collective and TLC Arts and Sciences Foundation. As an educator her goals are to mentor students as they develop as young creators, especially in preparation for college and as artistic professionals. “I am aware I may be my students’ first art teacher of color, shifting their understanding of art starts at that very moment.”

CV

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Education

2017    MFA, Tyler School of Art, Temple University 

2010    Bachelor of Fine Arts, Massachusetts College of Art

            Norfolk School of Music and Art, Yale University Norfolk, Ct

Awards

2018    St. Boltoph Foundation Award 

Nellie Taft Award for Painting

Artist Opportunity Fund Fellowship, Vermont Studio

2017    Emerging Artist Award, State of Connecticut 

2009    Departmental Award for Excellence, 2D Fine Arts Department

            Unsung Hero Award Leadership Award

2008    Ellen Battell Fellowship

            Massachusetts College of Art Painting Auction Award

2007    Artist and Craftsman Award

Professional Experience

2019- Current  Middle School Art Teacher, Thayer Academy, Braintree, Ma 

2017-2019          Associate Professor, Massachusetts College of Art and Design

2015-2017       Graduate Assistant, Temple Contemporary 

2014- 2016       Arts and Culture Transition, Member, City of Boston 

2014                Studio Practice Teacher, Massachusetts College of Art

2012- 2015       Adjunct Faculty, Visual Arts Department, Boston Arts Academy

Workshops/Guest Lectures

2017    MassArt, Art Education Dept, Boston, Ma

2014    Wonder Women of Boston, Strength and Courage Series, Boston, Ma

            Polly Thayer Starr Artist Series, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Ma

2013    After Hours, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Ma

            Artward Bound, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, Ma

2012    Artward Bound, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, Ma

Solo Exhibitions

2017    Clenched, Arnheim Gallery, Boston, Ma

            Gained and Gathered, Temple Contemporary, Philadelphia, Pa

2015    Remembered Color, Mayor’s Gallery, City Hall, Boston, Ma

2013    Continuous Pt.1, TLC Arts and Science Foundation, Quincy, Ma

            The Beginning: Continuous, Erick Jean Center for the Arts

2011    Solo, Bunker Hill Community College Chelsea Campus, Chelsea, Ma

2010    Who invited red? Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Ma 

2009    Welcome to..., Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Ma

            Inverted Confession, Artist Foundation, Boston, Ma 

            Invited Conversation, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Ma

Selected Group Exhibitions

2018    StreetARTISTS-Bogota to Boston, South Shore Art Center, Cohasset, Ma

Matters Matter 2, Suffolk Gallery, Boston, Ma

            #Sayhername, Vandernoot Gallery, Cambridge, Ma

            Translant, The Front/Little Berlin, New Orleans, La

Clenched, Arnheim Gallery, Boston, Ma

Stitch and Syntax, New Art Center, Newton, Ma

2017    Urgent Care, The Colored Girls Museum, Philadelphia, Pa

            Broad Stripes and Bright Stars, New Haven, Ct

            Overstitch, Automat, Philadelphia, Pa

More is Contained Then What is Revealed, Art and Craft Holdings, Philadelphia, Pa

2016    Black History Matters 365, Lesley University, Cambridge, Ma

            City Life, Oficia, Boston, Ma

2015    Show What You Teach, Gordon Gallery, Boston, Ma

2014    No Country for Old Men, Landmark College, Putney, Vt

2013    Junteenth Celebration, Musuem of Fine Arts, Boston, Ma

            Can I kick it? , Paris Street Gallery, Everett, Ma

            Black by Popular Demand, Gallery 360 Northeastern University, Boston, Ma

2012    New Media/Fresh Paint II, New Art Center, Newton, Ma

            Traditions Remixed, Strand Theatre, Dorchester, Ma

            Sound Influence, New Haven Arts Council, New Haven, Ct

            Visions, Cambridge City Hall, Cambridge, Ma

            Identity, Boston City Hall, Boston, Ma

            New Media/ Fresh Paint, SpringStep, Medford, Ma

2011    One Man’s Trash, Gallery at the Piano Factory, Boston, Ma

            Off the Pages, Hourglass Tattoo Shop, Somerville, Ma

            Ethnic Ties, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, Ma

            Ladies First, Hancock 309 Gallery, Dorchester, Ma

            Traditions Remixed, Resnikoff Gallery, Boston, Ma

            Iwa I’ Ewa, Dot to Dot Cafe, Boston, Ma

            Collaboration, Piano Factory, Boston, Ma

            Unmentioned, Misson Bar & Grill, Boston, Ma

2010    Emerging Artists, Transportation Building, Boston, Ma

            Introducing Traditions Remixed, Dorchester, Ma

            The Gene Pool, The Piano Factory Gallery, Boston, Ma

            Store Show Series, Carry Out, MEME Gallery, Cambridge, Ma

            Co-Lab Show, Doran Gallery, Boston, Ma

2009    Beg, Borrow, Steal, LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, Ma

            Paint Black on Canvas, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, Ma

            Co-Lab Show, Doran Gallery, Boston, Ma

2008    Atmosphere, Instillation Station, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Ma

            Black Artists’ Union, Dot to Dot Cafe, Boston, Ma

            Calvin Burnett Tribute, Presidents’ Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art

            Roxbury Open Studios, Boston, Ma

            Influence,  Piano Factory Boston, Ma

            777 Toy Battle, Underground Hip Hop Boston, Ma

            The Greatest Day on Earth, Earth Day, Artist for Humanity, Boston, Ma

            Amalgam II, Gallery at the Piano Factory Boston, Ma

            The Purple Show, Si El Gallery Boston, Ma

Curatorial Projects

2015    Passion with Balance, Fort Point Artist Community Gallery, Boston,Ma

2014    A Story We Share, Commonwealth Museum, Boston, Ma

2013    My Streets, Adam Bullock, Erick Jean Center for the Arts

2012    Identity, Boston City Hall, Boston, Ma

2011    The Art Show, (Articulation) St. Mary Church, Dorchester, Ma

            Ladies First,Hancock 309 Gallery, Dorchester, Ma

            If...Then., Mission Bar and Grill, Boston, Ma

2008    The Influence Show, Lee Adam Beard, Piano Factory,    Boston, Ma

            Hide, Sarah Laws, Utrecht Art Supplies, Boston, Ma

            Flight, Sarah Ressler, Utrecht Art Supplies, Boston, Ma

2007    Amalgam, Utrecht Art Supplies, Boston, Ma

            Streets, Amber Pate,Utrecht Art Supplies, Boston, Ma

            Everything Personal, Eddie Sweet, Utrecht Art Supplies, Boston, Ma

            The Big Show, Godine Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Ma

Permanent Collections/ Installations

            Whittier Health Center Boston, Ma

            Lincoln Property Company  Lincoln, Ma

            Aloft Hotel Boston, Ma

Affiliated with deCordova Museum, Art Loan Program, Lincoln, Ma

Public Art

Navy Yard, Philadelphia 

MIT x Cambridge Arts Center

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            Gertrude Howes Park (Final Three Artists), Roxbury, Ma 

            Codman Square Park,(Finalist Artist) Dorchester, Ma