Born in Chicago on December 27, 1959, Marvin Tate is a performance poet, lyricist, published author, collected visual artist and educator. His collaborations with Sound-Artist Joseph C. Mills and Video/Performance Artist, Jefferson Pinder, filmmaker Colleen Smith, multimedia artist Theaster Gates and the Black Monks of Mississippi, musicians LeRoy Bach, Mike Reed, Tim Kinsella and Angel Olsen to name a few, highlight his ability to combine spoken word and performance with other forms of mediums, producing outstanding works of juxtaposition and improvisation.

Tate's visual art incorporates ideas and perspectives unique to his existence. His work references African American history, speaks of personal and family history, and touches upon broader themes of cultural and political segregation, while addressing his own identity as a black man in Chicago. Tate's assemblages personify the human existential journey and embrace the beauty found in obscure settings.