Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud (b. 1978, Houston) is an interdisciplinary artist whose art focuses on geography, mapping, the environment, materiality, and the African diaspora. Her work is often minimal, abstract, and introspective. 

Her work has been included in exhibitions throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and the U.S., including exhibitions at Centro Cultural Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Brooklyn Arts Council and Chashama Project Studio in New York; Polvo Arts Studio in Chicago; Diaspora Vibe Gallery and Art Center/ South Florida in Miami; and Lawndale Art Center, the College of the Mainland Gallery, DiverseWorks, Orange Show for Visionary Art, Artpace, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and Houston Public Library’s Gregory School in Houston and Texas. She’s participated in artist residencies in Morelia, Michoacán, México, the Bahamas, and St. Maarten, and recently at Lawndale Art Center as part of the Artist Studio Program in Houston.

Ayanna also leads community initiatives in environmental advocacy, education, and cultural strategy. She is currently Co-Executive Director of Bayou City Waterkeeper, where she leads collaborative efforts on water quality, wetland protection, and flood resiliency, with a focus on environmental justice and climate resilience. 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.

Ayanna studied Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Art Practice at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Contact: archipelaga at gmail