Recent
Recent exhibitions
About
Art is Life
Being an artist means I’m always feeding my art. I’m either observing my surroundings, reading and learning or thinking and reflecting on my experiences. Everything I do brings something to my creations. In my art practice, the act of creating gives me an opportunity to be deliberate in identifying ideas to explore. The challenge is then to make intangible concepts tangible in an art form. Sometimes, visual cues start the artistic process and I find myself absorbed in the exploration process. After creating new work, I reflect on what I made and why. Often, it teaches me something about my current life situation.
Art Bridges Time and Space
What I find most interesting about art is that a single image or artwork communicates beyond time or place. We don’t need to speak the same language as the artist or be alive concurrently with their lifetime in order to appreciate their artwork. Neither do we need to be in the same place. Art extends beyond these boundaries and because of this it empowers us to learn about people with experiences different from our own.
Art is Empathy
To me, empathy is the ultimate goal of art. To open our minds to how other people live, feel and think.
Art is Expression
When art is respected, preserved and shared, along with the tools and skills that enable us to be comfortable learning from art, it is a powerful form of expression.
About
Art and design have always been a part of my life. I was making floor plans for imaginary designer mansions as a child and studied Interior Design at Sheridan College. This program sparked my interest in two specific things: art history and photography. Inspired to continue studying, I obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts, Dean’s Honour List, in Art History and Criticism from the University of Western Ontario and took photography courses at Dundas Valley School of Art. Studying art history really gave me a sense of symbolism and how visual elements convey meaning whereas studying photography honed my composition skills and it also showed me how stills captured from time gift us the ability to contemplate a moment that has passed us forever but which exists two dimensionally forever.
A photograph is a gift of time, a moment gone but that lives in front of you.
CV Highlights
Shannon's art has been exhibited in group, solo and juried shows, CONTACT photography festival, and she has received Honourable Mention awards. She participated in a year-long mentorship program with artist Suzy Lake and participated in the Art Gallery of Hamilton Art Rental and Sales for several years. Her art is in private corporate collections.
Shannon Baker is a past recipient of the Exhibition Assistance Grant from the Ontario Arts Council and would like to thank them for their funding.
Education
Certified Art Therapy Practitioner
Honours Bachelor of Arts in Art History (Dean's Honour List), Western University
Diploma in Interior Design, Sheridan College
Bachelor of Education, Brock University
Hometown: Hamilton Ontario
Shannon's home base is Hamilton, Ontario Canada.
Hamilton has an old industrial heritage that is currently inspiring a creative economy.
Hometown is a series of black and white images taken on 35 mm film and hand printed in a darkroom on silver gelatin paper in very limited quantities. The images are toned and some are handpainted.
Hand Printed Silver Gelatin Images of Hamilton, Ontario
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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Celebrations
Women's Art Association of Hamilton
Opens September 26, 2024 at the Cotton Factory, extended until November 19, 2024
Floral Reflections series
My current flower photographs provide beauty from unexpected compositions using mirrors, challenging viewers to question their understanding of seeing and what perspective are we taking?
This series visually explores flowers as three-dimensional subjects and ideologically explores time, beauty, perception and domesticity. My intention is to show flowers as ephemeral objects, whose fleeting beauty may be captured forever in interesting images, and to encourage mindfulness by appreciating the present moment of their ever changing state and short lived existence. In pondering why they are reflected using mirrors, I hope viewers reflect on their own lives.
Be sure to visit the Cotton Factory during Art Fair, September 26 to 28, 2024.
Exhibition viewing:
Opening Reception - Thursday, September 26, 2024 beginning at 5:30 pm. The Art Fair receptions begin this night too at 7:00 pm.
Location - Cotton Factory, 270 Sherman Avenue North, Hamilton ON L8L 6N4
Times - The Cotton Factory building is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and during special events after hours, such as the Art Fair. This exhibition is in the main entrance hallway.
Art Fair hours
Opening reception on Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 7:00 pm
Friday, September 27, 2024 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Saturday, September 28, 2024 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Sunday, September 29 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm
Art Fair at Cotton Factory
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Stay tuned for upcoming exhibitions!
Exhibitions
2024 DVSA Juried Student Art Show
2024 Carnegie Gallery Juried Show
2023 Women's Art Association of Hamilton - Open show at Cotton Factory
2023 Women's Art Association of Hamilton - Juried Show at Art Gallery of Hamilton
2022 Newmarket Juried Art Show
2022 Homer Watson Gallery Juried Show
2021 Headwaters Art Gallery Juried Show
2021 Studio k2 Group Show
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