About us
Hi, I'm Devona, the owner and creative mind behind D_Lvly_Creations! Art has been my passion for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I began taking art classes and volunteering at the Fleisher Art Memorial, where I assisted my sculpting teacher with her sibling classes. Over time, my role grew, and I became an assistant teacher.
My love for art continued to flourish, leading me to pursue a dual bachelor's degree in Art Studio and Psychology, with a focus on painting and drawing. Later, I deepened my expertise by earning a Master of Arts in Psychology, combining my artistic vision with a profound understanding of human creativity and expression.
Meet the Artist!
Devona is a mixed media artist from Philadelphia who works primarily with acrylic paint to bring her artistic visions to life. Through her expressive brush strokes and bold lines, she strives to use her canvas to project her emotions to tell different stories that invoke a sense of understanding for her viewers into her world of mystifying creations.
Through her pieces, she aims to evoke emotions, ignite curiosity, and transport viewers into worlds that are both familiar and unfamiliar. Her education has been pivotal in shaping her artistic practice and expanding her knowledge in various disciplines. She received a dual bachelor’s degree in psychology and art studio with a concentration in Painting and Drawing.
In addition to acrylic painting, she is well-versed in a myriad of artistic mediums including sculpting, graphic design, and silkscreen/printmaking. This wide-ranging expertise allows her to receive inspiration from a diverse number of sources.
Her dedicated commitment to experimentation keeps her constantly seeking new techniques and materials to challenge the boundaries of her craft.
ABOUT US
A COMITTED TEAM THAT LOVES TO CREATE!
D_Lvly_Creations strives to foster imagination and creativity within our students by helping them create beautiful artwork with personality. Whether you’re coming in to spend the day or to truly exploit your talent, you’ll find a blank canvas awaiting you where the world is your oyster. D_Lvly_Creations main goal is to embrace learning in a fun and safe environment.
At D_Lvly_Creations, my mission is to inspire and motivate people to explore different artistic mediums like watercolor, pastels, acrylics, oil paints, markers, colored pencils, charcoal, and more. I strongly believe that encouraging children to engage in creative activities as they grow helps nurture their imagination, build self-confidence, and foster self-reliance—all through the joy of making original and unique art. Thank you for visiting, and I hope my creations spark your creativity too!
I am Grateful beyond words to @CreativePHL and OACCE for the incredible opportunity to showcase my art at the Philadelphia Black History: The People’s Stories exhibition that will be showcased from February 20th until April 12th 2024! Contributing to this celebration of resilience, creativity, and heritage is truly an honor! Thank you for recognizing my work and allowing me to participate in this intriguing event. I had the opportunity to hear a lot of impactful stories and meet a lot of amazing artists!!! 🎨🖌️
💁🏾♀️ The name of my piece was called “VIEWS”. I decided to dedicate this piece of art to Caroline Le Count (1846-1923). Caroline Le Count was a courageous civil rights activist from South Philadelphia, who deserves recognition alongside the legendary Rosa Parks for her pivotal role in challenging segregation. While Rosa Parks is well-known for her bus boycott, Caroline Le Count’s impact was felt when she was denied access to a streetcar in 1867 because she was black. Despite facing dismissal from authorities, Caroline tenaciously enforced the new law that allowed everyone to ride streetcars and choose their seats, irrespective of race.
This bold move resulted in the driver being fined, marking a triumph for civil rights. Caroline was all about equality and creating a space for the black community ensuring that their voices were important, not ignored or slandered due to the shade of their skin. She was the first African American to pass the teaching exam in Philadelphia! At the age of 21 she was the second female African American principal in Philadelphia advocating for equality in education. Caroline Le Count’s fearless advocacy extended beyond personal encounters, challenging systemic racism and discrimination. However, this is still currently occurring all over the world to African Americans. Caroline’s legacy inspires me to confront injustice, amplify marginalized voices, and strive for a society where everyone is treated with dignity and equality, regardless of their skin color.
On the photo: Artist Devona, with her tribute to Caroline LeCount entitled “VIEWS.”
Caroline LeCount was a courageous civil rights activist from South Philadelphia, who deserves recognition alongside the legendary Rosa Parks for her pivotal role in challenging segregation.
While Rosa Parks is well-known for her bus boycott, Caroline Le Count’s impact was felt when she was denied access to a streetcar in 1867 because she was black. Despite facing dismissal from authorities, Caroline tenaciously enforced the new law that allowed everyone to ride streetcars and choose their seats, irrespective of race. This bold move resulted in the driver being fined, marking a triumph for civil rights.
She was the first African American to pass the teaching exam in Philadelphia. At the age of 21, she was the second female African American principal in Philadelphia. Photo credit: The Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy
A total of $90,000 in grants is being awarded to 46 Black creatives in the greater Philadelphia area by the Black Music City project. Each recipient is receiving between $1,000 and $3,500 each to produce new artistic works inspired by Philadelphia's rich Black music history. A special Juneteenth (June 19) event in Philadelphia during African American Music Appreciation Month will celebrate the grant winners and reveal their creations.
The unique purpose of Black Music City is to provide critical financial and promotional support to local Black artists, musicians and other creatives for new work that recognizes and honors the influence of Philadelphia's legendary Black music history. Black Music City was established in December 2020 in a collaboration between Philadelphia public music radio stations WXPN-FM and WRTI-FM, and REC Philly, a place for creators. In its first year (2021), Black Music City distributed $48,000 in grants to 23 individuals.
For 2022, the Black Music City project offered nearly double that amount in order to double the number of participants. Following the January 17 deadline, the final list of grant recipients was determined by the Black Music City Selection Committee..
- Devona Melton, Philadelphia / Wake Up Everybody ($2,000) - Mixed media