Artist Biography

Deneau’s work can be found in several personal and corporate collections including: James Duffy, Peter Walsh of TLC, Mack Avenue Records, Ernst & Young, Gretchen Valade, Mark and Molly Valade, Skip Davis, Stan Dickson, University of Michigan, IAC Automotive, Ameriprise Financial, and Visteon Corporation. 

Adversity illuminated the importance of art for Darcel Deneau and without hesitation she redirected her life’s journey in pursuit of painting. In 2002, she earned a BFA from the College for Creative Studies. A native Detroiter, Deneau started painting images of the city as a way of connecting to childhood memories and more recently her images remark on the city’s perceived image.

She has earned a notable reputation for her Detroit landscapes and was commissioned for the 28th Detroit International Jazz Festival poster artwork.

Today, Deneau paints in her studio daily and is actively involved in the art community. Deneau is a board member and serves on the exhibition committee for the Detroit Artists Market, is a member of the College for Creative Studies Alumni Association, and volunteers as a painting instructor at the Assarian Cancer Center in Novi. Since graduating seven years ago, she will soon open her 11th solo exhibition and has shown her work in a great number of group and juried exhibitions.