The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is proud to announce the appointment of Shayn Green as Artist-in-Residence (AIR) for its Pilot Residency Program running August-October 2024. The City’s AIR serves as a visual art ambassador for the North Charleston community. Along with creating new work in the 270 sq. ft. AIR Studio located within the Park Circle Community Building, Shayn will collaborate with the City’s Cultural Arts Department to offer opportunities for artistic engagement for North Charleston citizens during her residency period.
Shayn was one of 22 artists working in seven cities across South Carolina that applied for the position of North Charleston Artist-in-Residence for this Pilot Program cycle. Her vibrant and exaggerated portraiture uses her life experiences as a black and queer woman along with her Geechee family’s facial features, bodies, and culture of BIPOC as inspiration. Utilizing drawing, painting, sculpting, and sewing techniques, Shayn creates fun and quirky pieces that work in two-dimensional and three-dimensional spaces to promote diversity and highlight black beauty. “I was so excited when I heard that I would be the first Artist-in-Residence for the North Charleston community,” Green says. “I look forward to creating art pieces that highlight the black and Geechee natives of the Lowcountry.”
A graduate of Charleston County School of the Arts in North Charleston, Green went on to earn a BA in Media Arts from the University of South Carolina in 2019. She specializes in portraiture, literary illustrations, and graphic design and utilizes color to further enhance the tone of her work. Her “Big Nose Baddies” series was created as a way to connect and uplift other black and brown people. “Growing up I did not see a lot of artwork showcasing black and brown people with features like mine,” Green explains. “The artwork that I did see was centered around black pain and hardship, which is very prevalent in a variety of media. When creating this art style, I decided to make art that is more fun, colorful, and maybe a little magical for all the Big Nose Baddies out there.” Learn more about the artist at www.artbyshayn.com.
A selection of Shayn’s paintings is currently on display in the common areas of the Park Circle Community Building, located at 4800 Park Circle, North Charleston. More work will be added throughout her residency as it is completed, with a full exhibition of her work expected to be on view at the conclusion of her residency period at the end of October. A free public reception will be held at that time. In the meantime, visitors are welcome to view the work on display and take a peek at the AIR Studio during the building’s regular public hours, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
More information about the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department’s AIR program, as well as the department’s other programs, exhibits, and events, can be found on the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website.