Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Conditions Governing Access

No special access restriction applies.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Sally Jane Brown, Artist, Collection, A&M 5285, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Brown, Sally Jane, 2022 October 10

Gift of Brown, Sally Jane, 2023 December 01

Biographical / Historical

Sally Brown (formerly Deskins) is an artist, curator and writer currently based in Morgantown, West Virginia. Her artwork—including drawing, painting, and performance—explores womanhood, motherhood, and the body.

Sally has exhibited her work in spaces nationally and in the United Kingdom. She has won two awards for illustration for Intimates and Fools and Leaves of Absence , both with poetry by Laura Madeline Wiseman. Her writing has been published in Hyperallergic , Women's Art Journal , and Artslant , among others. She has curated group shows in Omaha, Nashville, Pittsburgh, and Morgantown.

Sally holds a Bachelor of Arts-Studio Art, a Master of Public Administration, and Master of Arts-Art History and Feminist Theory. She is a member of the College Art Association National Committee on Women in the Arts, edited the online journal Les Femmes Folles , and currently serves as Curator for West Virginia University Libraries, art editor for Thimble Literary Magazine , and contributing writer to Borshch of Art Discover Database . Born in Oregon, she spent most of her upbringing in Omaha, Nebraska, and currently lives in Morgantown with her two children and her cat, Chalupa.

Biographical / Historical Note From:

Brown, S. (n.d.). About . Sally Jane Brown. https://sallyjanebrown.com/about.

Sally Jane Brown formerly went by "Sally Brown Deskins". This biographical note is accurate as of 2025 January.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains materials collected or created by Sally Jane Brown in relation to art exhibitions and showcases, particularly women-focused ones in West Virginia. Brown formerly went by "Sally Brown Deskins", which is apparent in several of her art pieces and exhibitions. The collection is divided into two series:

Series 1. Exhibitions: This series contains materials collected or created by Sally Jane Brown that are related to art exhibitions and showcases in West Virginia, especially those focused on women, between 1959 and 2020. It primarily consists of exhibition leaflets and pamphlets, but also contains posters, a notebook, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and exhibition publications. Some exhibitions feature Sally Jane Brown as an artist, while others do not. Box 3 contains an addendum of 2024/12/01

Series 2. Art Publications: This series contains general art publications collected and created by Sally Jane Brown between 2001 and 2022. It includes publications from First American Art , the Huntington Museum of Art's Members Magazine , Mom Egg Review , and Woman's Art Journal . Also included are materials from Brown's work with Les Femmes Folles, a woman-focused art publication, and one zine created by Brown. Box 3 contains an addendum of 2024/12/01.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Art, American -- 20th century -- Exhibitions
• Art, American -- 21st century -- Exhibitions
• Brown, Sally Jane
• West Virginia Feminist Activist Collection
• Women and the arts