Del Bey is an artist and arts educator whose work deals with the intangibility of meaning and the slipperiness of language. She has a background of documentary photography addressing social issues and exploring the boundaries of experimental photography.

Photography is used to document the imprint of history on today. By photographing blues legends in Chicago in the 1990s, Civil Rights leaders in the 2000s, or reflecting on the 21st Century housing crisis in Chicago, her work demonstrates the enduring legacy of coping with and resisting racism in the United States.

Her portraits heroize the people who have played important roles in these movements. The images are often accompanied by interviews, which allow the subjects’ crucial stories to be told in full. As the cycle of racism continues, documenting the change and successes of the past can offer a roadmap for the future.

Education

BFA School of the Art Institute/Chicago Photography/Fiber Arts

MFA            University of Illinois at Chicago      Photography

M.Ed                University of MN                 Art/Curriculum Instruction

Corporate Collection/Grant

1998 3M, St. Paul, MN

2002 Medtronic - Civil Rights Portraits Funding

Artist Talks

2025 Pathways: Collaboration, Community, Northern Clay Center

2002 Artist Talk, Normandale Community College, Bloomington, MN 

2001 Artist Talk, Minnesota Center for Photography, Mpls, MN

Publications/Video

2025 Olive Tree (Bright-Side Mix) Artist: Peter Gabriel

Creator: Del Bey; Song: Olive Tree (Bright-Side Mix) FROM i/o

2022 Shots Magazine

2001 Family Housing Fund

1994 “Black Global Public Spheres,” Public Culture Society for  Transnational Cultural Studies,        Volume 7, Number 1

1994-93 Ebony Magazine: Editorial work - Roxanne Battle, high school seniors, and public events.

Solo Exhibitions

2025 Twisted Times, Ceramics, Mudluk Gallery 

1996 Dreams, Myths, and Reality, Bethesda Lutheran Medical Center, St. Paul, MN

1995 The Chicago Blues Scene, Ginkgo Coffee House, St. Paul, MN

1991 Cuba 91, South Shore Library, Chicago, IL

Selected Exhibits

2026 Body: Politic, Roho Collective Group Exhibition

2025 Homewood Photo Collective Group Exhibition

2024 Pathways: Collaboration, Community, Northern Clay Center,  w/catalogue

2024 The Skin Exhibit, Fresh Eye Gallery, Curator Christopher E. Harrison

2024 Homewood Photo Collective Group Exhibition

2024/25 Gamut Gallery’s C4W:2024 Exhibition; Curator, Brant Kingman 

2024 SoCal Film Awards - Film Festival - Experimental Category

2023 Franconia Sculpture Park's 5-Minute Film Festival, Honorable Mention

2023 Our Souls Shine Bright, Cargill Gallery, Minneapolis, MN 

2022 The Fearless Artist Group Exhibition, Ideal Glass House, New York, NY

2001 Civil Rights Struggle – Portrait Narratives, Minnesota Civil Rights Workers, The Minnesota Center for Photography

2000-05 Family Housing Fund, Mpls, MN Acquisition and Traveling Group Show

1997 - 2000 Anderson Window Company, Group Show; Bayport, MN

1998 Visions From Within, Group Show; Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, MN

1997 The St. Paul Art Crawl, Group Show; Lowertown Lofts; St. Paul, MN

1997 The Visible Soul: Revealing the Spiritual; Group Show, School of the Art   Institute of Chicago, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL

1996 Diversity Art Works, Hennepin County Government Center                

1995 Hot Spots, Parts Gallery, Minneapolis, MN; Group Show

1995 Black Creativity/Defining Who We Are, The Paul Whitney Larson Gallery, University of MN

Teaching Experience

2006  -  Present K-12 Visual Art Teacher, Minneapolis Public Schools, MN

Professional Organizations

National Art Education Association

delbey@ymail.com