Dellis E. Frank
Biographical Sketch
Born in East Los Angeles, Dellis Frank is currently a full-time artist focusing on social justice, nature, and decorative art. Her passion is visual art, specifically fiber sculptures and Arts Education. She taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District for over 20 years where she was a staunch advocate for Arts Education for all students. Dellis participated in and advocated for the writing of the Media Arts curriculum and standards as a stand-alone discipline.
Much of Dellis’ current work centers around social justice issues that are impacting the nation. Her passion for speaking up about the disparities she sees in communities of color is evident in her work. She does so with an environmental slant. Repurposing items that were headed for the landfill is the foundation of her practice. She has coined the phrase The Greening of Fine Art to capture the essence of her practice. When conceptualizing and constructing her work she takes the same approach she does with her cooking, “Vibration Cooking” which, in a nutshell is an intuitive approach. In her own words “I paint with fibers. I begin with a color family and wrap different items of varying shapes and when I feel I have enough or have exhausted the types of wrapping and weaving techniques I know, I begin the assembly. I watch as the structure emerges, and my assemblage is completed.” In many pieces you can see how important symbolism and color is to her as she pushes the observer to look into themselves and explore their desires, biases, and life experiences.
She currently sits on the board of several arts organizations which include Women’s Caucus for Art (WCA), Southern California Women’s Caucus for Art (SCWCA), SoLA Contemporary Gallery in Los Angeles (SoLA) and Palos Verdes Art Center (PVAC) Third Dimension. Dellis works with numerous community organizations that focus their attention on the arts. These organizations include LA Commons, International Eye Los Angeles, the Empowerment Congress of the second congressional district of Los Angeles, Arts for LA, Textile Arts LA, Fiber Art Now and the Cultural Arts Department of Los Angeles, specifically the advisory committee of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative.
Mrs. Frank has had numerous group and solo gallery showings in the US and internationally. Her work was featured on Peacock TV in the show titled Bel Air. Publications include “Conversations with Dellis Frank, Voyage LA”, The Gallery BeFrank Photography and numerous exhibition catalogs/
Dellis is a wife, mother of three and grandmother of two. She resides in Lomita, California.