Annie Lee

When people talk about African-American arts they will usually mention Annie Lee. Gallery owner, art distributor and internationally acclaimed artist, Annie Lee is known for such notable creations as "Blue Monday," "6 No Uptown" and "60 Pounds." Annie Lee's works are as lively, real and fun as she is exuberant. "I inspire myself," says this woman accustomed to being on the go. "I want to keep on going. I love giving myself new challenges."

Annie said her son and daughter most inspired her to do artwork. "She's constantly motivated and truly enjoys what she is doing," said her daughter, Darvina Joy Smith, who helps manage Annie's gallery in Glenwood, IL. Annie said she and her brother, raised by their mother in a basement apartment, would draw on everything they could find. Annie's mother encouraged Annie to learn secretarial skills rather than art. But she also taught Annie survival skills that would enable her to become a savvy businesswoman and creative entrepreneur.

When she was in high school, Annie rejected a four-year scholarship to Northwestern University. But she started junior college at age 40 after two marriages and two children. She received Phi Beta Kappa honors in college. She did undergraduate work at Mundelein College, Chicago, later studied at the American Academy of Art and earned her master's degree in education from Loyola University. Demand was growing for Annie's artwork after this, so she left her railroad clerk's job to paint full-time.

Today, Annie's daughter and five employees maintain Annie's art and businesses. The Annie Lee and Friends Art Gallery, an 8,000 square foot complex in Glenwood, IL, displays Annie's originals. Being a thinking woman who stays abreast of the current movements in the art industry, Annie has created Just Original Images, Ltd. (J.O.I.), a company designed to satisfy the demand for African American images on canvas.