Meet Shannon

Shannon Scates was born in Washington, D.C., in 1986, and raised in Prince George’s (P.G.) County, MD. She has always found the ability to create something new very magical. Shannon’s family culture provided the foundation for the artist she has become. Her family is from Washington D.C. and there is no family function without mention of good times in “Soufeast”. There was pride in their community, pride in their history, and endless stories of the realities of their black experience. Her experiences growing up in P.G. County also allowed her to see Black excellence as the norm, not an exception. This exposure provided Shannon with a pride in her people and culture that could not be shaken.

Shannon attempted her first painting in 2007, while attending school as a marketing major at North Carolina A&T State University. While at A&T, she took a drawing class and her professor encouraged her to participate in an art show after seeing her paintings. He told her she had something special, and she has been painting ever since.