create.   inspire.   uplift.

Rocky, August Rush, and Singing in the Rain; a few of my favorite films. Some laced with drama, some with comedy, but all INSPIRE. I aim to make art with the depth of films I love so much. As an avid movie watcher, it is important that work I do tell a story. I equate each piece to an inspirational drama.  Optimism, resilience, and forward progress are themes that can be seen throughout my art.  I aim to make my work 100% me, while still relating to the community at hand.

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Without the illustrious dance sequences, Singing in the Rain wouldn’t be the masterpiece it is. The same is true for my art. While the message may be key, there is no art without beauty.  I draw the viewer in with bold color schemes and interesting compositions. And even basic images always contain deeper revealed meaning. The issues of everyday life provide more than enough ammunition to inspire me. It’s my goal to create something unique and dynamic, something that will evoke emotion.

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Damon Bio
 

There’s truth to the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.  The “2025 Choose Chicago artist of the year”, Damon Lamar Reed brings that truth to reality.  From hip-hop to public art, he strives to create messages that reach the depth of the human condition.

As a young artist, Damon was a national competitor in NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics(ACT-SO), a winner of the Congressional Art Competition,  and a graduate of the Harvard Career Discovery Program. After graduating from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago(SAIC) in 1999, he attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Artist Residency.  In 2003, Kerry James Marshall featured Damon’s work in his solo show at the Museum of Contemporary Art(MCA), One True Thing, Meditations on Black Aesthetics.
 

Being a “Creative" is at the essence of my being.  It’s Damon’s purpose to use art to spread positivity. Ever since moving to Chicago, Damon has immersed himself into the culture and invested in the people. As an artist and entrepreneur, he has now created over 400 public art projects including works for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Showtime, Gatorade, The American Red Cross, the Chicago Blackhawks, Ticketmaster, and Sears to name a few. His work is featured in books such as, Kym Pinders’, Painting the Gospel: Public Art and Religion in Chicago. Revolt tv news named him “Revolutionary of the week,” citing the impact of his Still Searching project, where he uses art to raise awareness about missing women and children. The BBC also did a feature on the impact of Damon’s art; not to mention stories on News Nation, ABC, CBS, WGN(where he was named “Chicago’s Very Own”), and NBC(where he was named Chicago Today’s first “Hero.”)  
 

Reed received the Neighborhood Access Program (N.A.P.) Grant from the City of Chicago to do more Still Searching murals on the south side of Chicago. He was the first artist to receive the “Gem of the Community Award” from Architreasures, for his ability to collaborate with the community. He also became the first person to accept “The Artist Award” from The Healing Foundation. In 2022 he was a recipient of the “Treasurer's Award” from the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Damon is the inaugural recipient of Chicago Public Art Groups 2024, “Artist of the Year Award.” CPAG is responsible for the start of the Chicago Mural movement over 50 years ago that began with the Wall of Respect.