Mygenet Tesfaye Harris is an Ethiopian-American artist and Educator who is an interdisciplinary artist. Her artistic journey flourished during her undergraduate and graduate studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her imagery is based on her story of migration, adoption, and motherhood fueled by her birthplace of Ethiopia and her Eritrean bloodline. She came to the US as a child to escape the war in Ethiopia. Her work embraces her story and the plea of mothers to protect their children from war, death, and suffering. The Ethiopian phrase "Wax and Gold" is a metaphor that signifies hidden deeper meanings below the surface. Mygenet continues to dig below the surface in her art practice to amplify and reflect on Mothers' sacrifices. The question, “How many mothers did it take for my existence? Mygenet is a proud mother and a recent bird-birth launcher. Her ocean of inspiration is her two brilliant daughters, who are part of the growth and practice of her work.
Mygenet has been a productive and prolific visual artist and educator for over thirty years, with an extensive list of exhibitions and awards, including being named a “Local Hero” by Congressman Jamie Raskin. Mygenet is a US Presidential Scholar in the arts, one of two artists chosen by the White House Commission for the Arts and the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts. She received this award during President Clinton's Era. Her most significant work at MICA was her curatorial apprenticeship with Curator George Ciscle for the influential community exhibition featuring Elizabeth Talford Scott's quilts and fiberworks. Mygenet has showcased her work at MICA, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, and many Galleries in the DMV, including Compass Art Center, Glenview Mansion, and Yellow Barn Studios, as well as Artomatic, to name a few. These exhibitions have provided her a platform to share her artistic voice and collaborate with fellow artists. For 26 years, Mygenet has dedicated herself to teaching emerging artists in the DMV. As a coordinator and instructor for the MCPS Visual Art Center at Albert Einstein High School, she fosters the growth and artistic development of aspiring young artists.
