Our skin is thin, blackened, marred
But I know in my soul that We are more than just The Scarred
I am worthy
- Maria Fenton
excerpt from Softly Softly
CV
1990-1995 International Relations, College of Liberal Arts UMASS/Boston
2022-present Faculty, Adjunct Professor; Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University
2022 Costume Designer; Artist: Cecily, Music Video
2022 Costume Designer and Stylist; Artist: Edly Shine/Born Jamericans, Music Video: Active https://youtu.be/TYnK-bBxHBE
2021 Costumer Designer; Artist: Winzday Love, Music Video: Manifesto https://youtu.be/lPdl4m6Imk0
2021 Costumer Designer; Artist Cecily, Music Video: Spirit Tell Me https://youtu.be/brkOeWjYTdw
2020-present Writer, Creator, Producer, Director; EmmaEffa Films
2020 Costume Designer; Artist: Tribeswaliga, Music Video: Feelin https://youtu.be/FKBT6RtqfpI
2020 Wardrobe Supervisor/Costumer Designer; Artist: Dance Institute of Washington, Dance Film: Our Spiritual Journey https://youtu.be/4EDYQYLqMfk
2018-present Member Artist; Gateway Artist Center, Brentwood, MD
2018-2022 Resident Artist; Gateway Media Arts Lab, Mount Rainier, Maryland
2017-present Wardrobe Supervisor/Costume Designer; Dance Institute of Washington, Washington, DC
2017-present CEO, Creative Director, Fashion Designer; House of EmmaEffa
2017 Master Tailor; Levi Strauss & Co.
2017 Fashion Design Instructor; Guerilla Arts Summer School Program at Friendship Heights High School
2017 Featured Exhibition; Studio 26, Group show, New York, New York
2016 Founder, Producer, Moderator; Juneteenth Book Festival Symposium, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
2016 Founder, Creative Director, Developer; Juneteenth Book Festival, Thearc, Washington, DC
2016 Tailor Supervisor; Tailor Square
2012 Producer, Artistic Director; ArtLifeStyle Soul Purple Carpet Series, Washington, DC
2011-2020 CEO and Principle Consultant; ArtLifeStyle
2023 NYFW Spring 2023; Noir Fashion Week Production, Brand Presentation
2022-2023 Solo Exhibition; Gateway Media Arts Lab, Mount Rainier, MD
2022 NYFW Fall 2022; Noir Fashion Week Production Collaborative Feature with Urbanzulu of South Afrca
2022 Featured Exhibition; Artstination, Prince George’s Arts and Humanity Council, National Harbor, Maryland
2013-2014 Artistic Director, Curator, Exhibition; Living Art House https://youtu.be/rPOXoKFNnGc
2012 Staged Reading & Workshop; “Mistresspiece” Banneker Community Center Washington, DC
2002 Writer, Producer, Actress; “Mistresspiece” Multicultural Arts Center Cambridge, MA
1999 Actress; “The Old Settler”, Lyric Theater, Boston, MA Redwood's Old Settler Settles Into Boston's Lyric, Oct. 27-Nov. 21 | Playbill
2023 Publication; Upscale Magazine, House of EmmaEffa fashion feature
2016 Website Publication; Library of Congress, Black Literature and Literacy Subject of June 19 Symposium | Library of Congress (loc.gov)
1990-1995 International Relations College of Liberal Arts UMASS/Boston
2022-present Faculty, Adjunct Professor Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University
2022 Costume Designer Artist: Cecily, Music Video
2022 Costume Designer and Stylist Artist: Edly Shine/Born Jamericans, Music Video: Active https://youtu.be/TYnK-bBxHBE
2021 Costumer Designer Artist: Winzday Love, Music Video: Manifesto https://youtu.be/lPdl4m6Imk0
2021 Costumer Designer Artist Cecily, Music Video: Spirit Tell Me https://youtu.be/brkOeWjYTdw
2020-present Writer, Creator, Producer, Director EmmaEffa Films
2020 Costume Designer Artist: Tribeswaliga, Music Video: Feelin https://youtu.be/FKBT6RtqfpI
2020 Wardrobe Supervisor/Costumer Designer Artist: Dance Institute of Washington, Dance Film: Our Spiritual Journey https://youtu.be/4EDYQYLqMfk
2018-present Member Artist Gateway Artist Center, Brentwood, MD
2018-2022 Resident Artist Gateway Media Arts Lab, Mount Rainier, Maryland
2017-present Wardrobe Supervisor/Costume Designer Dance Institute of Washington, Washington, DC
2017-present CEO, Creative Director, Fashion Designer House of EmmaEffa
2017 Master Tailor Levi Strauss & Co.
2017 Fashion Design Instructor Guerilla Arts Summer School Program at Friendship Heights High School
2017 Featured Exhibition Studio 26, Group show, New York, New York
2016 Founder, Producer, Moderator Juneteenth Book Festival Symposium, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
2016 Founder, Creative Director, Developer Juneteenth Book Festival, Thearc, Washington, DC
2016 Tailor Supervisor Tailor Square
2012 Producer, Artistic Director ArtLifeStyle Soul Purple Carpet Series, Washington, DC
2011-2020 CEO and Principle Consultant ArtLifeStyle
2023 NYFW Spring 2023 Noir Fashion Week Production, Brand Presentation
2022-2023 Solo Exhibition Gateway Media Arts Lab, Mount Rainier, MD
2022 NYFW Fall 2022 Noir Fashion Week Production Collaborative Feature with Urbanzulu of South Afrca
2022 Featured Exhibition Artstination, Prince George’s Arts and Humanity Council, National Harbor, Maryland
2013-2014 Artistic Director, Curator, Exhibition Living Art House https://youtu.be/rPOXoKFNnGc
2012 Staged Reading & Workshop “Mistresspiece” Banneker Community Center Washington, DC
2002 Writer, Producer, Actress “Mistresspiece” Multicultural Arts Center Cambridge, MA
1999 Actress The Old Settler, Lyric Theater, Boston, MA Redwood's Old Settler Settles Into Boston's Lyric, Oct. 27-Nov. 21 | Playbill
2023 Publication Upscale Magazine, House of EmmaEffa fashion feature
2016 Website Publication Library of Congress, Black Literature and Literacy Subject of June 19 Symposium | Library of Congress (loc.gov)
1990-1995
2022-present
2017
2023
2022
2022-2023
2022
2018-2022
2018-present
2017-present
2017
2016
2016
2012
2022
2022
2021
2021
2020
2020
2017
2016
2017-present
2020-present
2013-2014
2011-2020
2012
2002
1999
2023
2016
2015
CV
International Relations, College of Liberal Arts
Faculty, Adjunct Professor
Fashion Design Instructor
NYFW Spring 2023
NYFW Fall 2022
Solo Exhibition
Featured Exhibition
Resident Artist
Member Artist
Wardrobe Supervisor/Costume Designer
Featured Exhibition
Founder, Producer, Moderator
Founder, Creative Director, Developer
Producer, Artistic Director
Costume Designer,
Costume Designer and Stylist
Costumer Designer
Costumer Designer
Costume Designer
Wardrobe Supervisor/Costumer Designer
Master Tailor
Tailor Supervisor
CEO, Creative Director, Fashion Designer
Writer, Creator, Producer, Director
Artistic Director, Curator, Exhibition
CEO and Principle Consultant
Staged Reading & Workshop
Writer, Producer, Actress
Actress
Publication
Website Publication
Publication
UMASS/Boston
Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University
Guerilla Arts Summer School Program at Friendship Heights High School
Noir Fashion Week Production, Brand Presentation
Noir Fashion Week Production Collaborative Feature with Urbanzulu of South Afrca
Gateway Media Arts Lab, Mount Rainier, MD
Artstination, Prince George’s Arts and Humanity Council, National Harbor, Maryland
Gateway Media Arts Lab, Mount Rainier, Maryland
Gateway Artist Center, Brentwood, MD
Dance Institute of Washington, Washington, DC
Studio 26, Group show, New York, New York
Juneteenth Book Festival Symposium, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Juneteenth Book Festival, Thearc, Washington, DC
ArtLifeStyle Soul Purple Carpet Series, Washington, DC
Artist: Cecily, Music Video
Artist: Edly Shine/Born Jamericans, Music Video: Active https://youtu.be/TYnK-bBxHBE
Artist: Winzday Love, Music Video: Manifesto https://youtu.be/lPdl4m6Imk0
Artist Cecily, Music Video: Spirit Tell Me https://youtu.be/brkOeWjYTdw
Artist: Tribeswaliga, Music Video: Feelin https://youtu.be/FKBT6RtqfpI
Artist: Dance Institute of Washington, Dance Film: Our Spiritual Journey https://youtu.be/4EDYQYLqMfk
Levi’s
Tailor Square
House of EmmaEffa
EmmaEffa Films
Living Art House https://youtu.be/rPOXoKFNnGc
ArtLifeStyle
“Mistresspiece” Banneker Community Center Washington, DC
“Mistresspiece” Multicultural Arts Center Cambridge, MA
The Old Settler, Lyric Theater, Boston, MA Redwood's Old Settler Settles Into Boston's Lyric, Oct. 27-Nov. 21 | Playbill
Upscale Magazine, House of EmmaEffa fashion feature
Library of Congress, Black Literature and Literacy Subject of June 19 Symposium | Library of Congress (loc.gov)
Reflections Art & Literary Magazine, poetry feature
Maria Fenton is a multiphyphenate artist, creative director, filmmaker, resident artist at the Gateway Media Arts Lab, wardrobe supervisor at the Dance Institute of Washington, and professor at the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She is based in Washington, DC.
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Services
Creative Direction
Filmmaking
Performing Arts Production
Art Direction
Screenwriting
Fashion Design
Costume Design
Wardrobe Consultation
Set Design
Filmmaking
Maria Fenton is a storyteller. Textiles, images and theatrics serve as paper, context and ink. She has positioned herself as a steward of the stories of people irrespective of geography, tongue or time. Reflecting narratives is a shapeshifter’s work. Maria’s has manifested solidly in fashion influenced by her breadth of practices. At its core, her work strives to give people the respect of allowing space for the full gamut of their humanity and articulation of their story.
Born into a family that proudly produced generations of master tailors and seamstresses of note from the Caribbean to Saville Row, Ms. Fenton apprenticed under her grandmother, a master seamstress. She gained a storied love and respect for tailoring and textile. By the time she turned sixteen, she began taking custom orders for formal attire and performers in Boston and New York. She has styled a wide range of clients from touring bands to lawyers to brides. Her wearable art has been exhibited in galleries in New York City and the District of Columbia. Her designs have shown at New York Fashion Week. She is currently working on a docufantasy film entitled Softly, Softly which Ms. Fenton has written, designed costumes and is directing. The film is part of a conglomerate of creative experiences, Softly Softly: Expressions, embodying a ballet, a book of poetry, visual art and a fashion collection stemming from the House of EmmaEffa.
Maria Fenton is a life-long student and teacher of the arts. Her first introduction to performance art was a saving grace giving her a safe place to flourish as a newly arrived immigrant child at the Elma Louis School of Fine Arts in Roxbury, Massachusetts. While that time was short-lived, studying ballet and theater under such a formidable presence in the Black art continuum planted a seed for her love of performative arts. From there she has manifested an abundance of roles: artist, actress, designer, and writer. She performed in The Old Settler by John Henry Redwood at Lyric Her play has been produced in multiple cities. She is the Creative Director of DC-based fashion brand, House of Emma Effa from which the dance and activewear line and costume shop, As I Am, and bespoke and made-to-measure gender-fluid suiting offering, SylviaSylvester is set to launch this spring.
Ms. Fenton is excited to be member of the Gateway Media Arts Lab, Gateway Art Center, and a part of the inaugural cohort of Designers in Residence at DPark3311 and a in Mount Rainier, Maryland and Harlem Fashion Row, a social collective company for multicultural designers, an ArrayCrew member. She is excited to activate a HOEE AF Film (House of EmmaEffa Always Flowing Films). The first project the media are of House of EmmaEffa of which Ms. Fenton serves as writer, director, costume designer and executive producer for the docufantasy, Softly Softly.