"Missionary" Mary L. Proctor (born 1960) is an American artist, best known for her visionary paintings, collages, and assemblages.
After the death of her grandfather, and her grandmother's struggle with alcoholism, Mary met and married Tyrone Proctor.
In search of 'something easier'[3] Proctor began collecting items from the roadside to sell at the local flea market.
She set them in her front yard where they caught the attention of curator and critic Tricia Collins, who purchased them for her gallery in New York.
[5] Her pieces typically consist of button, fake-jewel and glass encrusted figures upon a canvas of windows or doors.
"[3] "Missionary" Mary started her art studio in her roadside junk shop in south Leon County, Florida, in 1995.
The same year, she was featured in a one-woman show, "Mary Proctor: Contemporary American Folk Artist" at Florida A&M University, Tallahassee.