Throughout her nearly twenty-year career, Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud has created art across disciplines about geography, mapping, the environment, and the African diaspora. Her work is often minimal, abstract, and introspective. She has participated in exhibitions and residencies throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and the U.S. Recent awards include the Texas Women in Conservation – Terry Hershey Award through the Texas Audubon; Rachel’s Network Catalyst awardee for mid-career environmental leaders of color; the BIPOC Arts Network and Fund; and an Artadia finalist award. Born and raised in Houston, Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud studied Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Art Practice at the School of Visual Arts. 

Ayanna also leads environmental advocacy, education, and cultural strategy, and currently serves as co-executive director of Bayou City Waterkeeper, where she works on collaborative efforts on water quality, wetland protection, and flood resiliency. Before this, Ayanna launched public programs at a botanic garden, led multidisciplinary and cross-cultural program development at nonprofits and universities throughout the U.S., and founded labotanica, a cross-disciplinary creative studio.