Dawn Black was born in Louisiana where she received a BFA from Louisiana State University. She earned both MA and MFA, specializing in Painting and Sculpture, from the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History. Her work is internationally and domestically exhibited and is in various collections including in the Museum of Paper and Watermark in Fabriano, Italy and the Columbus Museum of Art. In 2012, she was nominated for a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant and received a Career Advancement Grant from the state of Louisiana. Black has attended numerous residencies including Bemis Center for the Arts, the McColl Center for the Arts, VCCA, and Lawndale Art Center. The Washington Post, Art Papers, and artinamerica.com, among others have reviewed her work. Currently, she lives and works in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.