Artist Annie Frances Lee was born on March 3, 1935, in Gadsden, Alabama. She was raised by a single parent, she grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Wendell Phillips High School. Lee began painting at an early age, winning her first art competition at the age of ten (10). Lee was offered a four-year scholarship to attend Northwestern University after high school, but married instead and raised a family.
It was not until age forty that Lee decided to pursue a career as an artist. She enrolled in Loop Junior College and completed her undergraduate work at Mundelein College in Chicago. After eight years of night classes, while working at Northwestern Railroad as a clerk in the engineering department, Lee earned her M.A. degree in interdisciplinary arts education from Loyola University.
Lee’s railroad job inspired one of her most popular paintings, “Blue Monday,” which depicts a woman struggling to pull herself out of bed on a Monday morning. Using her unique designs, Lee also developed figurines, high fashion dolls, decorative housewares, and kitchen tiles.
The exposure from art gallery shows helped popularize her work. Several of her paintings appeared on the sets of popular television shows such as “The Cosby Show” and “A Different World.” Although she regularly received requests for public appearances, Lee preferred to appear at gallery shows. She also enjoyed visiting schools to encourage and inspire students. She passed away on November 14, 2014, at the age of 79.