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Shannon Evans

fine artist • scenic artist • maker • muralist

Shannon Evans is a Chicago artist based in the West Town neighborhood of Bucktown. Drawing from 20+ years as a theatre maker in Chicago's unmatched experimental Storefront theatre industry, Shannon's paintings emerge as fearless visual storytelling.

Her studio work focuses on fracturing the concept of individuality and on exploring the limitations and frontiers of what human beings can know— epistemologically and phenomenologically— as examined through relationships with time, Self, and Other. She is interested in souls and in bodies.

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Body of Work

Prior to her painting full-time, Shannon first established herself in the professional theatre community in 1999. Her insatiable drive and infectious energy have helped sustain a robust career as a freelance scenic artist, designer, producer, director, performer, manager, educator, and technician for dozens of theatres in the only city in the world that allows for such a diversified theatrical career. She's designed and rigged a 60-foot puppet, engineered countless stage blood special effects, performed onstage as a live painter at the original Double Door music venue, and once helped produce a play that performed on the platform of the Lawrence Red Line stop.

Shannon is grateful that demand for her paintings and murals has grown to allow her to center her energy to paint full-time. Influenced by her scenic artistry, she is most tempted by large-scale surfaces and enjoys collaborations. She recently focused on developing memorial art through her stylish fingerprint series. Here, Shannon is humbled by the opportunity to provide comfort to loved ones of those who have departed by connecting with personalized visual art. Additionally, Shannon delights in painting during live events, such as creating custom, one-of-a-kind canvas paintings at concerts, parties, and weddings.

Shannon believes in community action through the arts and in arts activism. She is especially passionate about working with youth artists from underserved neighborhoods and helping amplify the voices of those who feel voiceless. Shannon works to support the Black Lives Matter movement and its principles by working with the Chicago Activist Coalition for Justice and the humanitarian foundation Tikkun Chai Inter-National.

Shannon has been a professional educator since 2005, primarily as a theatre and drama teaching artist specializing in classroom arts-integration. For the 2020-2021 school year, Shannon created and safely directed a Remote Learning Center for preschool-8th grade students at a Chicago ninja warrior gym for dozens of kiddos, in small pods, learning online from dozens of separate Chicago schools. Simultaneously.

Since 2020, Shannon has worked as Charge Scenic Artist with Fever Originals— North America, which is one branch of Fever, the world’s largest producer of immersive experiences. She’s travelled to cities across the States working with scenic designers to lead teams of artists creating Fever Originals’ renowned, immersive scenery.

Shannon was born and raised in beautiful Minnesota. She credits the support of her incredible family as the foundation for her successes today.

Shannon received a B.A in Theatre Arts and in Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago in 2003, where she was two art history classes shy of also earning a Fine Arts degree. Go Ramblers!

She has two snuggly cats, Moonshine and Valentine, enjoys reading nerdy pop-science articles, and would like to buy you a shot at The Paper Machete sometime. Recently, she lost most of her digital portfolio to a nasty hot cocoa situation with a first grader because she was living, lawlessly, like it was Y2K. She asks everyone to please back up their files.

Check back for new and updated archival photos as they're tracked down!

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Shop for invigorating fine art Paintings, Prints, & Objects

inspired by the Northwoods, the City, and the Self

Shannon is available for murals, studio commissions, and live painting events!

HIGHLIGHTS

PAINTER:

present:

freelance muralist – commercial and residential

freelance scenic artist – plays, films, installations

charge scenic artist for Fever Originals— North America – immersive experiences

freelance fine artist – canvases, objects, live events

past (selected):

commercial: Harpo Studios (The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show), Joe Jensen Studios (Hades haunted house series), Fear City Productions, Big City Sets, Chicago Botanic Garden, MN State Fair Sign Shop

theatrical: TUTA Theatre Chicago, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, TimeLine Theatre, Teatro Vista, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Windy City Playhouse, Steep Theatre, American Blues Theater, The Neo-Futurists, About Face Theatre, Theater Wit, Apollo Theater Chicago, The House Theatre of Chicago, Porchlight Music Theatre, Mercury Theatre Chicago, Ma’at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre (MPAACT), The Factory Theater, Emerald City Theatre, Prop Thtr, Silent Theatre Company, Organic Theater Company, Olive Grove Productions, Pegasus Players, City Lit Theater Company, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Young People’s Theatre of Chicago, Clove Productions, Curious Theatre Branch, The Side Project, Rogers Park Theatre Ensemble, City of Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs & Special Events Storefront Theater, NHSI at Northwestern University (Cherubs)

related field: Graphic Artist at Windy City Ninjas (2017-2021)

THEATRE ARTIST:

freelance artist: producer, director, designer (lighting, scenic, and gore/blood effects), scenic artist, puppet maker, puppeteer, stage manager, production manager, marketing manager, social media manager, educator, technician, performer, development (grant writing, fundraising, annual campaigns, live events management), festival director

TUTA Theatre Chicago – Emeritus Company Member, Marketing Manager (2007-2008), Managing Director (2008-2009), artistic home (2003-2022)

Prop Thtr – Associate Producer (2005-2018), Board Member (2007-2012)

Emerald City Theatre – Community Board Member (2014-2018)

Silent Theatre Company – Board Member (2016-2020)