The Shellof Vitus

 

  Artist Vitus Shell is a force for change BY PATRICIA GANNON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER DEC 30, 2019 THE ACADIANA ADVOCATE Staff Photo by Leslie Westbrook Critics have long argued that all art is political, a statement and motivation for society to change. Others counter that art is simply aesthetics and medium with no ideological agenda attached. Artist Vitus Shell is straight up political. His first funded solo museum exhibition, “‘Bout it ‘Bout it, The Political Power of Just Being,” is on view at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette. The 17 portraits and one mural are painted on paper, cut out then composed on backgrounds of collages. This art has a gravitational pull that can’t be ignored. “The title came first,” said Shell. “I knew the idea I wanted to play around with.” “Bout it, ‘Bout it,” a reference to rapper Master P, means being about this thing or what the show is about. The rest, "The Political Power of Just Being," refers to looking at issu...

  “A New Cool,” takes on Southside Gallery by Caroline Nihill  October 17, 2019 “Of a New Cool” is a two-person exhibition with L. Kasimu Harris and Vitus Shell that explores the South’s relationship to race, and will open at Southside Gallery on Oct. 8 and run until Nov. 2. Photo courtesy L. Kasimu Harris and Vitus Shell “Functionality and style,” is how artist L. Kasimu Harris would describe his joint exhibit, “A New Cool,” at Southside Gallery. The reception for this exhibit is tonight from 5-8 p.m. The gallery is showcasing this art until Nov. 2.  Both artists will attend the reception, and it is open to the public.  Harris is accompanied by his friend and colleague Vitus Shell for this joint exhibit. Both are visual artists from Louisiana and use the South in their art to convey their experiences as African Americans. The two met in graduate school at Ole Miss in 2005 and have been collaborating since.  Harris and Shell both use their art to address problem...

  CHILDREN'S COALITION TEAMS UP WITH NORTHEAST LOUISIANA ARTS COUNCIL + CITY OF MONROE + LOCAL ARTIST, VITUS SHELL The Children's Coalition for Northeast Louisiana is bringing more visual art into Downtown Monroe. Supported in part by a grant from the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council with funds from the City of Monroe, this initiative will include a mural within our Family Garden by Vitus Shell. The mission of the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana is to “Create communities where children and families thrive.” The project CHILDREN THRIVE, seeks to capture the essence of this mission in our community by creating the first of a series of public art mural panels designed by muralist Vitus Shell and painted with help of children and youth in our community. Monroe native, Vitus Shell, will work with a group of artists and local children and youth to implement the proposed project. Vitus Shell has exhibited at universities, museums, and private galleries across the country;...

  Vitus Shell: Something The Folks Down Home Can Connect With For "Black Art in America" Vitus Shell has seen a lot of worlds. Monroe, Louisiana where he grew up, Memphis, Tennessee where he was educated, and life overall. He loves drawing on that dualism for his work. His pieces don’t just capture ordinary black folk, his work places them on a long-deserved pedestal and demonstrates sensitivity in the same breath. Whether it’s confronting colorism (or even skin bleaching if you want to take it there) with a piece like “Lighter,” or during showings that channel Blaxploitation’s cinematic history, like “3 the Hard Way: HMAAC” which tackled toxic masculinity and BAIA promoted. Vitus himself wonders how he’s so fortunate that he’s pushing up murals and not daisies. He grew up in the Deep South and became one of 20 black freshmen entering Memphis College of Art in 1996, at the time the largest number of blacks matriculating. He chuckled at the memory when I spoke with him on the ...

Current Artists-in-Residence SPRING 2019 Sculpture - Tara Bogart  www.tmbogart.com Sculpture - Larry Buller  www.larrybullerceramics.com Sculpture - Jake Couri  www.jakecouri.net Ceramics - Yewen Dong  dongyewen.com Printmaking - Ruhan Feng  www.ruhanfeng.com Woodworking - Rhodes Hinman  Painting & Drawing - Marta Lee  www.martaleeart.com Ceramics - Corwyn Lund  www.corwynlund.com Printmaking - Kelly Taylor Mitchell  www.kellytaylormitchellstudio.com Photo/New Media - Ciara O’Kelly  www.ciaraokelly.com Ceramics - Kelsie Rudolph  www.kelsierudolph.com Woodworking - Emma Senft  www.emmasenft.com Painting & Drawing - Vitus Shell  www.theshellofvitus.com

  The Dedication: An Exploration of a People Vitus Shell, Painting Visiting Artist lecture: Thursday, October 11, 5pm, TVAC 103  Reception 6-7 pm The School of Design invites all faculty, staff and students to the closing reception for current exhibitions in the Bethea and Moffett Galleries at the F Jay Taylor Visual Arts Center. Painter Vitus Shell will present an artist lecture related to his exhibition The Dedication: An Exploration of a people now on view in the Bethea Gallery. An audience Q and A and closing reception follows the presentation. Refreshments will be provided.