Learn More about Charly Palmer

Charly Palmer was born in 1960 in Fayette, Alabama and raised in Milwaukee. He relocated to Chicago to study Art and Design at American Academy of Art and School of the Art Institute. As a graphic designer and illustrator, he ran a successful design studio with a Fortune 500 clientele. As an instructor, he has taught design and illustration and painting at the post-secondary level at Spelman College among others. He was recently the first African American guest lecturer at UCLA and awarded Visiting Fellow in Race and Ethnicity, under the auspices of the Mellon Practitioner Fellowship, effective September 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021 at Brown University.

His path as an artist was inspired by his fascination in his youth by illustrations in Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day. “I could never get enough of the imagery in the book,” he says Keats’ work was magical and planted a seed in his young heart. What appealed to him most is the random geometric shapes, the simplicity of layered textures and patterns, and the mix of bold colors.

For a period, Palmer worked under the pseudonym Carlos—his alter ego. Doing so allowed him to explore and experiment with spontaneity and fluidity. Many of the ‘Carlos’ pieces were abstract and more primal than the intense paintings that were solidifying his reputation as a social expressionist. The ultimate fusion of these styles, gleaned from history and powerful life experiences became Palmer’s trademark style and have gained him collectors worldwide.

Today Palmer is widely recognized not just as a fine artist but also as a muralist, illustrator of children’s books, teacher, graphic designer and mentor. Highly sought after for public commissions; notable ones include the posters for the 1996 Olympics and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and being selected as the official artist for the 2013 Atlanta Jazz Festival. In 2016, he was selected by Fisk University to execute original artwork commemorating their 150th anniversary; in 2017 Howard University commissioned him for their 150th anniversary celebration. A major project for the Green Bay Packers featuring 20 portraits of players hangs in Lambeau Stadium. Recently he was selected by John Legend to create a portrait for the cover of his album “Bigger Love,” released in June 2020 and by Time Magazine to create the cover art for their July 6/July 13, 2020 issue. Additional paintings by Palmer are included throughout the magazine. Most recently he was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine and on the October 2020 cover of Christianity Today Magazine.

A previous work, His Story, belonging to the estate of Maya Angelou, was auctioned by Swann Gallery in 2015. Palmer has illustrated several children’s books including There’s A Dragon In My Closet, Rainy Day Rocketship, I Can Write the World, All Boys are Blue and Mama Africa—a children’s book chronicling the life of Miriam Makeba–for which he received the 2018 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award.

Public Collections include Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Vanderbilt University – Nashville, The Apex Museum – Atlanta, Alabama State University, Atlanta Life Insurance – Atlanta, City Hall – Milwaukee McDonald’s Corporation – Wisconsin McDonald’s, National Miller Brewing Company – Wisconsin, YWCA of Greater Milwaukee, Coca-Cola Company, Pepsi Cola Company, Publix Food Market and others

Personal Collections – The Late Honorable Maynard Jackson, Honorable Andrew Young, Ms. Angela Bassett, Mr. Courtney Vance, Bishop Barbara King, Ms. Maya Angelo, Congressman John Lewis, Mr. Tony Brown, Mr. John Witherspoon, Anthony Mackie, and Tyler Perry to name a few.

Palmer has been interviewed by numerous publications including Communication Arts, Ad Week, Artwork Archive and the UCLA Regence Series.

Among Charly’s most notable shows: Mackey Twins, Mount Vernon, Just Lookin’ Gallery, Hagerstown, MD, Fine Art Images Richmond, VA, Zucot Fine Art. Mason Murer Atlanta GA, Wisconsin 30 Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI, March on Washington, DuSable Museum, Chicago IL, African American Museum of Southern New Jersey, Spence Gallery

Devoted to his fine art career, Palmer currently lives and works in Atlanta, GA.