About
Simone Anthony-Brown: Founder, Express Yourself Studios
Artist | Curator | Workshop Facilitator
Simone Anthony-Brown is an artist, workshop facilitator, and curator known for her vibrant watercolor and acrylic paintings and intricate mixed-media collages. Her work explores cultural heritage, equity, and social justice through bold color, texture, and layered storytelling. Simone’s art can be found in the homes of collectors throughout the United States and Canada. She continues to expand her creative reach through exhibitions, commissions, and public art projects.
Recent exhibitions include:
Newark Arts Festival – Newark ArtSpace & Victoria Foundation, Newark, New Jersey (October 8–12, 2025)
• Featured Works: Not a Threat – Rooted in Place; Shadows of Identity
Where Photography Meets Collage – New Orleans Photo Alliance, New Orleans, Louisiana (June 25, 2025 – August 19, 2025)
• Featured Work: Not a Threat II
We See You: The Bench Project – Livingston, New Jersey (May 23, 2025 – September 19, 2025)
• Featured Work: Visions of Color I
Another Slice of Sweet Potato Pie – Art in the Atrium Gallery, Morristown, New Jersey (May 16, 2025 – September 19, 2025)
• Featured Work: Not a Threat I
Art of NJ Digital Exhibition – Newark Liberty International Airport, Terminal A (March 5, 2025 – December 31, 2025)
• Featured Work: Rhythms and Roots
Black Art in Repose – Chatham Borough Hall Gallery, Chatham, New Jersey (March 31, 2025 – May 12, 2025)
• Featured Works: Rhythms and Roots; Crowned Resistance (Original Sold)
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Black History Month Exhibit – RWJBarnabas Corporate Headquarters, Princeton, New Jersey (February 5, 2025 – February 27, 2025)
• Featured Work: Sacred Beginnings
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Black History Month Exhibit – East Hanover, New Jersey (February 7, 2025 – March 7, 2025)
• Featured Works: Legacy Woven; Crowned Resistance
Jack and Jill Morris County Chapter’s Hats Off to Her Gala – Morris County, New Jersey (March 2025)
• Featured Work: Legacy Woven (Original and Print Sold)
20th Annual South Orange Maplewood Artists Studio Tour – South Orange & Maplewood, New Jersey (November 2024)
• Featured Works: Mixed-media collages and watercolor pieces
W.O.W.: Women’s Outstanding Works – Art in the Atrium, Atrium Gallery, Morristown, New Jersey (May 17, 2024 – September 20, 2024)
• Featured Series: Echoes of Heritage (Original Sold)
Black Joy: Just Being – Express Yourself Studios, Maplewood, New Jersey (February 2024)
• Featured Work & Curator Role: Simone Anthony-Brown
Sanctified Souls – Perth Amboy Gallery Center for the Arts, Perth Amboy, New Jersey (February 2024)
• Featured Series: Sanctified Souls
All the Praise (Commissioned Work) – Wallace Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church, Summit, New Jersey (September 2023)
• Featured Work: All the Praise
Hilton Branch Library Exhibit – Maplewood, New Jersey (February 2021)
• Featured Works: Selected pieces exploring joy, resilience, and cultural identity
As an instructor, Simone leads workshops across New Jersey and virtually, engaging children and adults in painting, collage, and pastels. She has recently incorporated Folk Art into her teaching for its storytelling power. As a curator, she organizes exhibitions celebrating Black life and culture, including Black Joy: Just Being for Black History Month 2024.
Express Yourself Studios
As the Founder of Express Yourself Studios, Simone is leading its transition from a brick-and-mortar space to a creative service organization that hosts art events and workshops for community organizations and corporations. While focusing more on her artistic practice, she remains committed to inspiring creativity, fostering engagement, and using art as a tool for connection and expression.
Marketing & Business Background
Before dedicating herself fully to art, Simone spent 18+ years in marketing and advertising, holding key positions at PEOPLE, Essence, and The New York Times. She developed integrated marketing programs for major brands such as Unilever, JPMorgan Chase, and Estée Lauder, as well as leading media planning for Procter & Gamble, IKEA, and Xerox at top agencies. This background continues to shape her approach to building meaningful connections through art, education, and advocacy.
Art, Advocacy & Impact
Simone’s art is more than aesthetics—it is a statement, a call for dialogue, and a celebration of heritage. Through her work, she continues to inspire, uplift, and advocate for a more inclusive and culturally rich future.