Shanelle Harrison (b.1997; Maryland) is a contemporary narrative artist and wreathmaker renowned for her innovative Print-Craft fusion techniques and evocative wreath-making.  With a deep commitment to preserving and celebrating oral history, Harrison’s artistic  practice is rooted in the belief that storytelling is vital to keeping our ancestors’ spirits alive.  In her work, she ritualizes the acts of collecting, preserving, and commemorating stories,  reflecting a profound exploration of personal loss and collective memory. 

Harrison’s art is a journey through the fragments of her past, capturing the essence of her  grief and transformation. Each piece she creates is a testament to her experiences and  emotions, crafted to safeguard the remnants of her history against a broader culture of erasure. Her practice is an act of both mourning and commemoration, with a particular focus  on the healing potential of public grief and shared remembrance. 

Recently, she has been awarded a residency at Ragdale in Lake Forest, IL and at the historic  Oak Park Artist League in Chicago, IL. In 2024, Shanelle received a Fulbright Research Award  for her project titled "Black Power in the Pacific: The Intersectionality of Oppressed 'Black'  Cultures and Liberation through Commemoration and Storytelling," She is a 2021  Independent Artist Awardee from the Maryland State Arts Council. Shanelle exhibited work  for her solo show “Feeling Out Loud” Chroma Contemporary Arts Center in Detroit,  Michigan, The Cumberland Valley Artists’ juried exhibition at The Washington County  Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland, The Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit, MI  and The American Hungarian Foundation in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In 2019, Shanelle  earned her B.A. from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD and in 2024 earned her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Instagram: @intellect.art