Erica “E L” Chisolm

E.L. Chisolm (b. 1993) is an interdisciplinary artist, muralist, art activist, and creative placemaking consultant living and working between  Birmingham, AL, and Atlanta, GA. Her work across mediums has activated public spaces in underserved communities to help decrease blight and increase walkability and wellness using tactical urbanism projects and public art. Guided by the belief that all people are equally as deserving of vibrant and healthy communities, the artist explores the strength and honesty that come from the natural world and seeks to illuminate the distinctive facial attributes of Black people, emphasizing texture and feature diversity in her mixed media paintings and murals alike.

A native of  Birmingham, Chisolm has woven art into her life since childhood, exploring its potential to highlight injustice and spark change. Haven witnessed inequities at a young age while attending a predominately white school; she found her artistic voice to be a powerful tool for advocacy. Recognizing Birmingham’s cultural richness amidst stark creative limitations, Chisolm later combined her passion for fine art and activism, ultimately aiming to foster positive transformation in her hometown and beyond. Chisolm is a graduate of Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Urban Development and a minor in visual arts. Her formal studies, combined with her tenure as a master cosmetologist, both contribute to her artistic expression of portraiture by demonstrating the beauty that comes from adversity. 

Chisolm maintains her goal of using fine art to celebrate and enhance the Black American experience by creating public art tailored to historically underserved populations. In her recent work with the Atlanta Regional Commission as an Art Leader for Metro Atlanta (ALMA), she helped develop arts and culture-led strategies to address real-life challenges that will have a lasting impact on local communities. As the current Senior Urban Designer of The City of Birmingham, she works alongside the Historic 4th Avenue Business District and the Civil Rights District of Birmingham. She has contributed to over 20 community-engaged public art projects to date. 

The artist has collaborated with regional organizations, including Urban Impact Birmingham, TILA Studios, Living Walls, The New Georgia Project, BlankSpace Bham, Canvas Can Do Miracles, and Divine Urban eXpressions. She has also worked with national brands, including Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, Creme of Nature, Maker’s Mark, Heifer International, Verizon Wireless, Puma, Levi’s Denim, Sony, Crown Royal, and the Atlanta Hawks. 

The artist’s murals are located in Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL;  Knoxville, TN; and Pierrevert, France. E.L. Chisolm’s fine artworks are included in private collections across the United States and Germany.