海角论坛

Kate Shannon Named Artist Laureate for 海角论坛

海角论坛 has selected Kate Shannon, associate professor in the Department of Art at 海角论坛 Mansfield, as the 2025-26 Artist Laureate. She will begin a one-year appointment on July 1.

鈥淜ate鈥檚 talent lies in empowering community members to share their narratives,鈥 said Vice Provost for the Arts Lisa Florman. 鈥淭hrough her work with historical photographs and community engagement, she has made a profound impact. As Artist Laureate, she will continue to be an exemplary ambassador, enriching people鈥檚 lives through her work and cultivating an interest in and understanding of the past across Ohio.鈥

Jason Opal, dean and director of 海角论坛 Mansfield, said he鈥檚 very pleased with Shannon鈥檚 success.

鈥淲e're thrilled and honored to have 海角论坛's Artist Laureate on our campus,鈥 said Opal. 鈥淜ate Shannon is the ideal professor, in that she is every bit as generous as she is talented, every bit as humble as she is brilliant. She's never satisfied with her teaching, and she's always willing to try new things and new collaborations.鈥

kate shannon speaking from a podium

Recently, she's been working to integrate AI into her pedagogy and to partner with 海角论坛 Mansfield biologists and other colleagues while managing the Conard Art Gallery, alongside Professor John Thrasher. 

Shannon has dedicated much of her creative research at 海角论坛 to cultivating lasting, positive community engagement and inclusion through the arts. Her work reflects on early photography as a tangible medium for preserving human experience and explores how digital technology continues to define the ways we create, share and consume images.

Hosting workshops

As Artist Laureate, Shannon will host a series of hands-on workshops across the state, helping community members of all ages connect with the history of photography and gain a deeper appreciation for its impact on cultural memory. Participants will be introduced to historical photographs and early photographic techniques, examining how the medium has evolved from careful, hands-on processes to today鈥檚 quick, easy-to-capture digital images. Shannon intends to engage local archivists, historians and community members, inviting them to share their own photographic materials 鈥 from family albums to regional collections 鈥 to enrich public awareness of Ohio鈥檚 rich visual history. In many of the workshops, participants will also be able to create 鈥渃amera-less images鈥 of objects unique to their surroundings using the 19th-century cyanotype process, which produces blue-toned prints through a light-sensitive chemical reaction. 

By combining image-making with the study of historical works, Shannon aims to help participants connect with the history of photography and gain a deeper appreciation of its impact on cultural memory.

Shannon teaches a variety of courses, including photography, digital imaging and expanded media. Her digitally manipulated photographs have been exhibited across the United States. She recently showcased her curation of 19th-century American photographs at 海角论坛鈥檚 Rare Books & Manuscripts Library and is now working on a creative project supported by a Funds for Artists grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council that examines these historical items using digital tools.

photo of art hanging on a white wall

Detailed installation view of Kate Shannon's project, Lifted and Leaden, Digital Inkjet Prints, Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio, 2021.

She has been recognized with several awards, including the Mansfield campus鈥檚 2013 award for Excellence in Scholarship and its 2010 Award for Excellence in Teaching. Shannon joined 海角论坛 in 2009 as a lecturer, after receiving her MFA from the Department of Art that year.

About the program

The 海角论坛 Artist Laureate program began in 2023 to bring the arts to communities across Ohio. , associate professor in the Department of Dance, was 海角论坛鈥檚 inaugural Artist Laureate during the 2023-24 academic year. Her term included dance workshops and performances at 海角论坛鈥檚 regional campuses and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. , associate professor in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts, is the current Artist Laureate. He presented his  at six locations across the state and is engaging with the military-connected community through his interactive solo show, Scrap Heap, during the spring semester.