About Me

I am Lakesha Calvin, a Nashville native who first discovered my creative voice in the classrooms of Metro Nashville public schools. After earning my degree from Washington University in St. Louis, I ventured further—earning two Master’s degrees, one in Painting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and another in Education from Lipscomb University.

As Discipline Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Fisk University’s Art Department, I’m reshaping what it means to teach, create, and lead. By driving volunteer opportunities and educational experiences at the Carl Van Vechten Gallery, I have the privilege of showing others the power of art to inspire and ignite change.

My work has graced the walls of the Tennessee Parthenon, Vanderbilt’s Black Cultural Center, Fisk’s Carl Van Vechten Gallery, Tennessee State University, and Centennial Arts Center, and even reached the shores of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. My work challenges you to consider, question, and reflect. My practice is rooted in identity, memory, and belonging—an exploration of self that’s as complex and layered as the color and form that constructs my figures, collages, and sculptures.