The Shellof Vitus

  Must Be Two Sides:  A local art exhibition portrays dueling sides of black life. Article by Laura McKnight, Photo by Lawrence McNeal New Orleans Living Magazine The inspiration for artist Vitus Shell’s new exhibition stems from a brief, but powerful moment on a Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans: the abrupt exchange of gunfire between young men, which caused no injuries and only a short interruption in festivities led by Mardi Gras Indians. Shell, a native of Monroe, La., who was in town as part of an artist residency, was struck by the juxtaposition of the events — the sickening sound of gunshots versus the pride and grace of Mardi Gras Indian feathers and chants. Shell said he remembers a staffer with the Joan Mitchell Center, the group hosting his residency, wondering if the group should continue to bring visiting artists to that area. And then his friend’s response, which hit Shell as an appropriate summation of black life: “She’s gotta understand you gotta take the good with...

  Must Be Two Sides: A local art exhibition portrays dueling sides of black life.    The inspiration for artist Vitus Shell’s new exhibition stems from a brief, but powerful moment on a Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans: the abrupt exchange of gunfire between young men, which caused no injuries and only a short interruption in festivities led by Mardi Gras Indians. Shell, a native of Monroe, La., who was in town as part of an artist residency, was struck by the juxtaposition of the events — the sickening sound of gunshots versus the pride and grace of Mardi Gras Indian feathers and chants. Shell said he remembers a staffer with the Joan Mitchell Center, the group hosting his residency, wondering if the group should continue to bring visiting artists to that area. And then his friend’s response, which hit Shell as an appropriate summation of black life: “She’s gotta understand you gotta take the good with the bad.” “There are always those dualities of something beautiful ...

 

  Photos by Lawrence McNeal  

  FUTURE HISTORIES The works of Masur Museum resident artist Vitus Shell are a mixed media tour-de-force that bring the viewer face to face with the lives that are and the lives that might have been. article by  Michael DeVault |  photos by  Brad Arender for  BayouLife Magazine When Vitus Shell watches the news or reads a magazine, he’s struck by the complexities that swirl about, lurking just beneath the surface and out of view. Layers of history and corollaries pile one atop the other until, at last, the neatness of story is lost amidst the chaos of realness. By the time Shell puts brush to canvas, the nuances and folds of events have woven throughout him, permeating him until he’s at once equal parts skeptical observer, empathetic spirit, and willing co-conspirator. If there’s a subversive quality to Shell’s works–collages that are decidedly political, challenge the norms, and defy the conventions of contemporary young artists–that quality is underscored by a...

 

  Mural celebrates Indianola BY RECARDO THOMAS for Enterprise-Tocsin 12/10/2015 The community has begun to paint a picture of unity in more ways than one. Delta Health Alliance/Indianola Promise Community, the city of Indianola, the Roosevelt Community Association and individuals from across the city gathered on Saturday to engage in what Delta Health Alliance calls “one of the biggest projects we have undertaken since the playground build, at the Bethune Center, a few years ago.” IPC contracted with urban artist Vitus Shell to design and create two full-color, 9-foot-by-25-foot murals on the exterior walls of the city swimming pool on Roosevelt Street. “It’s all part of the restoration and beautification project we’ve begun with the city,” Anthony Powell, IPC project manager/community relations, said. The design on the east wall features the words “Indianola” and “Mississippi” along with other symbols of the Delta including musical notes, a bayou scene and a Magnolia blossom.