Elvira Clayton

Elvira Clayton lives and works in Harlem, New York. Her work incorporates the use of various media, including sculpture, photography, sound installation and both written and performance narratives to evoke thoughts about the notions of identity and its relationship to social and cultural history.

She is a two time recipient of The Manhattan Community Arts Fund Grant, which has supported her community collaborative art projects.

Clayton has studied art at The Glassell School of Art and The Student Art League of New York.

Since relocating to New York in 2006, her work has been exhibited in group shows including, "Small Works On Paper", Casa Feral Gallery, N.Y. and "The Project Room" at the Allen Sheppard Gallery. Clayton was invited to show her work in the All Awards Winner Exhibition at The Pen and Brush Gallery, N.Y. in 2008, where she was a participant in their Hands, Heads and Hearts exhibition. Her work was selected for exhibition in The City of Houston City Hall Annex Show, 2007-2009, Salon Two, Memphis College of Art, Memphis, Tenn., Church Inc., Prairie View University, Prairie View, Texas, 3 Strong Women, 3 Strong Visions, Allen Sheppard Gallery, New York. Her work was featured on the cover of the 32nd Anniversary Issue of the literary journal, CALLALOO JOURNAL.

She was a featured artist in the online art magazine, Glasstire. Clayton was selected to show her multi-media piece, 125th street series, with The Work Office Project in 2009. She is an artist in residence with chashama.

Clayton is currently working on Herstory/Mystory, a series of multi-faceted, community-based art projects that merge art with personal and cultural history, and includes Herstory/Mystory.com, a New York Foundation For The Arts fiscal sponsored art project.