"Missionary" Mary Proctor (1960 - )

 Be sure to scroll down the page to find out more about "Missionary Mary". There are videos and still photos further down this page, as well as an extensive biography of Mary. 

Pieces for sale by Mary Proctor.

Mary Proctor, a black woman who had been running a junk oddments store in rural north Florida, (Noah's Ark Flea Market) turned to making art after the loss of her aunt, uncle and grandmother in a house fire in January of 1994. After a year of grief and prayer, Mary decided to go on a fast to search for meaning from God as to the loss of these dear people. The grandmother lost to the fire had raised Mary. 

On the thirteenth day of her fast she had a revelation from God. A voice told her to go get a door from one of the buildings on her property and paint it. Mary is a deeply spiritual person, she still paints many doors. The use of doors may suggest an underlying spiritual meaning which even Mary is not fully aware of. There are many references to doorways in scripture:

Matthew:6:6: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Matthew:25:10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

John:10:1,2: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

John:10:7: Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 10:9  "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.".

Many of her works convey spiritual truths and life lessons, warnings against drinking, how to raise children, marriage vows, etc... 

In January of 1996, a scant year later, "Mary L. Proctor : The Door Paintings," her first one person show, was presented at the Tricia Collins Grand Salon, a gallery in New York's Soho.

For years Mary collected scrap pieces of costume jewelry, old watch parts, buttons and swatches of quilting. She really had no use for them at the time, she simply stored them away. Proctor's imposing works are often encrusted with these cast off materials, she believes that the Lord was directing her to collect these items, storing them up for the work he was to have her do in the future. That kind of reasoning is hard to argue with, seeing the wide acceptance that has sprung up for her work in such a short time. 

A few of the paintings have no assemblage elements at all, but all new large paintings use doors as a support. They are powerful aesthetic images, illustrated religious exhortations, and escape hatches from suffering and into peace via a faith in God. 

An article about Mary appears in the Winter 1999 issue of Raw Vision. A piece by Mary appears on the cover. A bright, new talent has certainly sprung up in this amazing artist and person, Missionary Mary Proctor.

The following clips are from the HOB Show, added on 11/27/99
Mary Speaks on Art	Mary Speaks on Art some more
Fox TV Interview	My House TV Interview
TV Interview	My House TV Interview

           A few of the honors Missionary Mary has received:

• "1st Art Show" - All Saint Canal Club and Gallery - Tallahassee, FL 9/95
• Tricia Collins - Grand Salon, "One Woman Show," Soho District - NYC 2/96
• Raw Vision Magazine - #14 Spring/Printemps, 1996, pg. 24, "Father Time"
• Modern Maturity Magazine "In Picture: Art Folk" - A peek into the eclectic and whimsical world of folk artists who transform their inspirations and visions into objects 'art that are, well, unique. (Text by Abby M. Contrat; portraits by Anthony Barboza; artwork photographed by Matthew Klein) May-June 1998, volume 41W #3, pg 2 and 46
• Best of Show - Riverside Avondale Preservations, Inc. - Jacksonville, FL 9/2/96
• House of Blues - New Orleans, Orlando, Chicago
  • "Award of Merit" - Arts on the Park - Lakeland, FL 9/29/96
  • "Award of Excellence" - 11th Annual Starke Festival of the Arts
  • "Third Place" - 26th Anniversary "On the Green" Art Festival - Ft. Pierce, FL 1/11-12/97
  • "Award of Merit" - 27th Gasparilla Festival of the Arts - Tampa, FL 3/1-2/97
  • "Kate Chapman Memorial Award for Sculpture" - 42nd Annual Broadwalk Art Show - Virginia Beach, VA 6/12-15/97
  • "Award of Merit" - 26th Riverside Art & Music Festival - Jacksonville, FL 9/6-7/97
  • "Second Place" - 13th Art Festival '97 Thornebrook Village - Gainesville, FL 9/27-28/97
  • "Award of Honor" - 35th Halifax Art Festival - Daytona Beach, FL 10/25-26/97
  • "Best of Division, 1" - Citrus County 27th Festival of the Arts - Inverness, FL 11/1-2/97
  • "Second Place" - St. Tammany Art Association Award - The First Covington Three Rivers Art Festival - Covington, LA 11/8-9/97
  • "Best of Show" - 9th Annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival - Eatonville, FL 1/31/98 & 2/1/98
  • "Friends of the Arts Awards" - 28th Gasparilla Festival of the Arts - Tampa, FL 2/28/98 & 3/1/98
  • The 621 Gallery at Railroad Square - Tallahassee Sculptures - "40 Artists from the Tallahassee Area" - Tallahassee, FL 4/3 - 26/98
  • "Awards of Excellence" Harambee '98 - 14th Arts & Cultural Heritage Festival Tallahassee, FL 4/17-19/98
  • National Black Arts Festival - 10th Anniversary Celebration at Greenbriar Mall - "Art Beyond Borders" - Atlanta, GA 7/11-14/98
  • The Zetter Collection presents for the first time in the western US "The Outstanding Art and Doors of Missionary Mary L. Proctor of Tallahassee, FL" - "One Woman Show" - Hermitage Gallery Southwest Pavilion - Reno, NV 8/1-31/98
  • The Zetter Collection presents "One Woman Show" - Brenda Antin Antique Shop - Los Angeles, CA 9/10-14/98
  • -VIP- "An Invited Guest" - Kentuck Association of Northport, Inc. - Northport, AL 10/98
  • "Award of Merit" - Arts on the Park - Lakeland, FL 12/98
  • "Third Place" - 39th Fine Art & Selective Craft Show - Cocoa, FL 2/13-14/99
  • "First Place" - 31st Opelika Arts Festival - Opelika, AL 4/17-18/99
  • "Awesome" - Gadsden Art Center, Presents "Missionary Mary L. Proctor" - Quincy, FL 4/30-5/23/99
  • Jules Jewel Presents Missionary Mary Proctor "One Woman Show" - Buckhead - Atlanta, GA 5/15 & 16/99
  • The Virginia-Highland Summerfest Art Festival - Atlanta, GA 6/5 & 6/99
  • The Bainbridge-Decatur County Council for the Arts - Presents in the Firehouse Gallery - Missionary Mary L. Proctor (A One Woman Show Reflecting Folk art Through Her Eyes) - Bainbridge, GA 6/7-12/99
  • "Divine Inspiration" painting and sculpture by spiritually motivated artists - Main Street Gallery - Clayton, GA 6/12-23/99

• Galleries Missionary Mary L. Proctor's works are shown in numerous galleries, to whom she is very grateful.
  • Florida A&M University, "1997 College of the Year" - Fine Art Exhibition Presents Missionary Mary L. Proctor "Contemporary American Folk Artist" - FAMU Fine Art Gallery, Tallahassee, FL 11/21/97 to 12/12/97
• Museums
  • Morris Museum - Augusta, GA
  • The Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Art - "Of the People: An Exhibit of Folk Art" - 227 E. Kennedy Blvd., Eatonville, FL 32751 - 10/20/97 to 11/26/97
  • Museum of African American Art cordially invites you to "A Reunion of Spirit" Community Artists' Show In the Spirit of the Barnett-Aden Collection - 1305 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602 - 11/7/97 to 1/6/98
  • Museum of Florida History, R.A. Gray Building - Black History Month and Women's Month - 500 S. Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399 - 2/12/98 to 4/6/98
  • American Visionary Art Museum presents its 4th Exhibition - Eros and Error: Love, Profane and Divine - Baltimore, MD - 5/15/98 to 5/30/99
• Collectors 
  • Mary Call Proctor, TLH, FL
  • Mary Anne Moore, TLH, FL
  • Dr. Lou Hill, TLH, FL
  • Joan W. & Howard E. Bowers, TLH, FL
  • Suzanne D & Armand B Cognetta, JR M.D., TLH, FL
  • Anne & David O'Bryan, TLH, FL
  • Anita R. Favors, City Man., TLH, FL
  • Fred Flowers, Atty., TLH, FL
  • Paula L. Walborsky, Atty., TLH FL
  • Judith W. Hawkins, County Judge, TLH, FL
  • Dawn S. & Jerome W. Hoffman, TLH, FL
  • Pauline Carroll, Birmingham, AL
  • Suzanne & Rocke Doddridge, M.D., St. Petersburg, FL
  • Kenn W. & Lynn G. Melton - Greensboro, NC
  • Travis N. Trensit - Chicago, IL
  • Charles P. & Eileen Smith, Lakeland, FL
  • The Woodruff Family, Coca Cola, ATL, GA
  • Tammy Deene, Virginia Beach, VA
  • Ann F. & William M. Offenhimer, Richmond, VA
  • Rhea Chiles, Tampa, FL
  • Rebecca & Leroy E. Hoffberger, Towson, MD
  • Philip D. Mercado, M.D., Los Angeles, CA
  • Stars:
    • Dinah Manoff - TV star, "Empty Nest", "Soap"
    • Judge Reinhold - movie star, "Beverly Hills Cop"
    • Diane Carroll, singer/actress
    • James H & Suzanne Fenwick, aka "Suzanne Stone" - TV star, "Sanford & Sons"
  • Show Biz Executives:
    • Judy Schoen, owner of the Theatrical Agency
    • Greg Stewart, TV producer, owner of graphics company
    • Larry Moss, one of Hollywood's best known acting coaches (Misty Blue)
    • Connie Tazel, manager of Helen Hunt & Craig T. Nelson
    • Marty Ozer, chairman of Reno Fox - TV network
    • Jeff Melnick, owner of film & TV literacy agency
    • Lois Zetter, Siegel & Feldstein and the Zetter Collection

Mary's work is on display at many House Of Blues venues across the USA

Pieces for sale by Mary Proctor.