African Portal

Queen Brooks was one among seven original artists, Bill Agnew, Barbara Chavous, Andrew Scott, Larry Winston Collins, Pheoris West, and LaVerne Brown, who contributed to the Kwanzaa Playground which was developed in 1995 as a joint effort between the community and the City of Columbus. It is designed in the shape of a human figure, which represents the first ancestor and it focuses on positive African American images. Brooks work symbolizes peace and tries to bring a sense of welcoming and calm to all visitors. Brooks's current "African Portal" is constructed out of steel to ensure its longevity as a beautiful architectural piece for decades to come.

Queen Brooks is a Columbus native. Her gallery and place of residence, Blue Haven Art Studio is where she does most of her creative work. She is the recipient of the Ohioana Career Award the highest recognition bestowed on an artist in the state of Ohio. She works with a diverse range of media from wood burning, drawing, painting, print making, mixed media, and digital photography. Her work is often colorful, patterned and textural and she focuses on subject matter surrounding her culture, human issues and spirituality. Her artwork has been shown nationally and internationally and is held in the collections of the Ohio Dominican and Ohio Otterbein Universities, the King Arts Complex, and the Columbus Museum of Art.