About Shana
Education
2004 MAAE, Art Education, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1994 BFA, Printmaking and Painting, University of Kansas
Exhibitions and Public Art
2007 Avram Eisen Gallery, Masters of Art
Group exhibition featuring Chicago area artists
2006 Chicago’s Greektown, A Celebration of the Grecian Urn
Collaboration with the Bell School community on a Grecian urn highlighting American Sign Language, which was in an outdoor exhibition.
2006 Avram Eisen Gallery
Group exhibition of established and emerging artists from Chicago and the United Kingdom.
2005 Avram Eisen Gallery
Group exhibition of established and emerging artists from Chicago.
2004 Art House
Group exhibition of established and emerging artists from Chicago.
2001 1926 Exhibition Studies Space, Involuntary Action
Co-curated show that examined the roles of artists, educators, and activists through the creation of curriculum, facilitation of art workshops, and art production.
2000 Muddy Waters House, Muralist,
Collaborated with the Chicago Historical Society, Neighborhood Services CO., and the Chicago Public Art Group on the Muddy Waters House Refurbishment Mural Project.
2000 Oscar Romero Jesuit Memorial Mural-Muralist
Collaborated on designing and painting this mural with Mirtes Zwierzynski and the Loyola community. It is installed in the Loyola University Centennial Building.
Art Teaching Experience
2005-Present After School Matters
Co-Instructed two annual sessions for Connections Program at Bell School, involving an inclusion based group of students.
2006-Present Student made quilts for AIDS orphans in Tanzania, Africa
2005-2006 Pop art ceramic city sculptures
2001-Present Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School
- Visual Art Teacher for 860 students comprised of Neighborhood Dept., Deaf Dept., and Gifted Dept.
- Helped facilitate two school wide Bell School Family Fine Arts Nights that involved the community in visual arts, drama, and dance workshops
2002-Present Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School Murals
- 8th grade, Facing History mural, “Sticks and Stones”
- 8th grade, Facing History mural, “U.S. Memorials & Thinkers, D.C.”
- 8th grade, Facing History mural, “I am From…”
- 8th grade, Facing History mural, “Universe of Obligation”
- 6th grade, Ceramic and Mosaic mural, “Illinois Native Prairie Stewards”
- 5th grade, Ceramic and Mosaic mural, “Immigration: Our Passage, Our Arrival”
- 3rd grade, Lookingglass Theatre Residency Mural, “Around the Corner”
2001 Beacon Street Gallery and Chicago Youth Net Summer Arts Program
Co-led Beacon Street’s summer arts programming held at Clarendon Park. Facilitated the creation of individual mosaic-“personality symbol portraits” for 15 youth.
2000 Gallery 37 Art Instructor
Hosted by Chicago Public Art Group
Assisted Mirtes Zwierzynski with teaching collaborative mural painting to developmentally disabled high school students at Vaughn Occupational High School.
2000 Gallery 37 Art Instructor
Hosted by Chicago Public Art Group
Assisted Mirtes Zwierzynski with facilitating high school students with cognitive disabilities from Ray Graham Training Center with a mosaic mural installed at their school.
1999 Sarah’s Circle, Herstory Mural
Collaborated with the transient and homeless women of Uptown with the creation of a mural that illustrates the struggles and celebrations of their life at this shelter.
1997-1999 Chicago Park District-Art Instructor
- At Adams Playground: taught preschool, youth art classes and helped supervise the summer camp.
- At Seward Park:
- Ran the senior citizen program, involving exercise, arts and crafts and social outings.
- Led a mosaic mural collaboration with teens based on the changes in Cabrini Green. The mural was hosted by Chicago Public Art Group and hangs in Seward Park.
- For the Park District’s after school program, Park Kids: Taught youth art and developed a collaborative art curriculum with the KidstArt and RAW art classes that were implemented into the weekly Seward Park programming.
- Craft Mobile Art Teacher: Taught outdoor art classes in Chicago Park District North Region Parks out of a mobile art class minivan.
Grants
- Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP) Grant-2005
- Oppenheimer Family Foundation-2005
- Oppenheimer Family Foundation-2004
- Oppenheimer Family Foundation-2003
- Chicago Foundation for Education-2003
Collections
- Private Collection-St. Louis, MO
- Private Collection-Kansas City, KS
- Private Collections-Chicago, IL
- Private Collections-New York, NY
- Private Collection-Marrakesh, Morocco
- Private Collection-San Francisco, CA