MORGAN OVERTON
Morgan Overton (b. 1993, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose work is a reclamation of history and humanity. She creates across a range of paint, drawing, and mixed mediums to interrogate the intersections of identity, ancestral memory, and resilience - merging portraiture, abstraction, and symbolism to weave narratives that center Black and Global Majority voices. Rooted in her background in social action, psychology, and politics, her art is a platform for generational storytelling with the hope of collective liberation. She also runs Morgan Overton Art Gallery in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
From 2023-2025, Morgan served as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the University of Pittsburgh’s Frederick Honors College where she explored themes of preserving American Democracy through artmaking, and workshops with leaders in peacebuilding and human rights. She is also a member of the prestigious Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, and Women of Visions - a collective of contemporary Black women artists. In June 2025, Morgan was a Painting and Mixed Media resident at the internationally renowned School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Her work has been featured across cultural institutions and community organizations in Pittsburgh - namely the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, International Free Expression Project, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Three Rivers Arts Festival. Nationally, a 2023 solo exhibition I Stand on Their Shoulders at the United States Capitol - Russell Senate Building, Spectrum Miami Art Fair, Arts Council Fayetteville, North Carolina, and the Whole 9 Gallery in Culver City, CA. Internationally, she has showcased in group shows in St. Paul de Vence, France, Helsinki, Finland, and the London Art Biennale. Morgan has curated the annual regional show, Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh - the work of over 100 artists at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and August Wilson African Cultural Center.
Morgan’s work - whether on canvas or in community has been described as both meditative and urgent. She is continuously sought after for thought leadership and talks to redefine the cultural landscape. She has led and sat on panels at prominent organizations such as Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, the Andy Warhol Museum's Pop District, and Pennsylvania Arts and Humanities. She has repeatedly guest-lectured for dozens of arts, social science, and political courses at Universities including the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Carlow University, and Point Park University.
From the University of Pittsburgh, Morgan earned a Masters in Social Work with a focus in Community Organization and Social Action, as well as a Bachelors in Psychology with a minor in Studio Art. From 2022-2024, Morgan made history as the first Black woman to serve as the Vice Chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Party. Through that role, she was also elected to serve as a Delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In 2024, she earned the first Community ARTivist Award from the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Young Black Alumni Award from the University of Pittsburgh, and induction into the Pittsburgh Business Times 30 Under 30 in 2019.