Ekua Holmes is a Roxbury-based visual artist known for vibrant collages that depict urban life. Her work is collected locally and nationally. In addition to creating art, Holmes maintains a strong commitment to arts education and outreach. Since 2011, she has served as community coordinator for sparc! The ArtMobile, an initiative of the Center for Art and Community Partnerships at Massachusetts College for Art and Design. In this capacity, Holmes works with community organizations, schools and businesses to design intergenerational programs and events that engage participants in hands-on, art-making activities and spirited dialogue about the value of art in public life.

Prior to MassArt and sparc!, Holmes served in various capacities on the executive board of Discover Roxbury, an organization whose mission is to document significant cultural and historical contributions of Roxbury; promote appreciation for and participation in the cultural life of the community; and foster economic empowerment by increasing support for local merchants and institutions.  In collaboration with Discover Roxbury, she published, "Dreaming Big: Pioneers of Public Art in Roxbury" (2010), an overview of noteworthy Roxbury monuments and their visionary creators.

Holmes is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and she is the 2013 recipient of the 2013 NAACP Image Award for Arts. She is a native of Roxbury and resides in her childhood neighborhood of Washington Park, near a 1969 mural, "Africa is the Beginning," created by artist, Gary Rickson and featured in, "Dreaming Big."

Holmes is a discretionary appointment to the Boston Art Commission for her distinguished service to the arts.