Autumn Joi Ellis has visited the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown for years, both to see art and to be around it.
“It's a place of inspiration, but it's a place of aspiration as well, as an artist myself, wanting to be a part of it,” Ellis said.
Recently, the proud Youngstown native got the chance to see her paintings on view at her beloved Butler in her first solo exhibition, “Echoes of Us.”
In 2024, the self-taught painter entered her portrait painting “Braylin” in the Butler’s juried National Midyear Exhibition and was accepted.
That portrait went on to win Ellis the 2025 Midyear Prize Exhibition this past summer.
When Butler Chief Curator Liz Hicks saw Ellis’ painting in the juried show, she said she was struck by the beauty of the piece and offered her a solo exhibition of her Black portraiture.
“I think she's very brave,” Hicks said. “It can be scary being the person who speaks up about topics that maybe are sore subjects, and some people want to look away from these kinds of important topics.”
For the show, Ellis painted portraits of her friends and family from greater Youngstown.
“I wanted to elevate people who I know never considered themselves to be on the canvas,” Ellis said. “Most of the people … had never even been to this museum before they came here to look at their exhibit.”
With her portraits of the Black community, Ellis is challenging stereotypes.
“I want to really have people focus on the fact that you can see a bunch of Black people on the wall without it being something that's being forced on you. We exist here too, it's okay,” Ellis said.
One of the paintings that stands out is “Smile,” featuring a Black male friend in a hoodie.
“Sometimes we have these biases in our heads, and we don't really acknowledge them,” Ellis said. “Sometimes the person that you're scared of is actually a happy, joyful person. [He] has no intention … to hurt you. He's just living his life.”
Hicks said Ellis is a great local talent.
“I think her work speaks to what is at the heart of the art scene in Youngstown and greater Youngstown.”
For Ellis, this summer’s exhibition elicited many emotions.
“I honestly am still processing, so it's hard to really articulate the emotional aspect of it because I go through a range,” Ellis said. “I can't just say, ‘Oh I was elated’ … it's heavier than that. There are deeper feelings that come with walking in and seeing an entire exhibition of your own.”
