SHAN Wallace
SHAN Wallace engages her daily practice of photography to explore Baltimore’s history and encourage visibility of Baltimore’s Black lesbian community.
SHAN Wallace (b. 1991) is a nomadic award-winning visual artist, photographer, and educator from East Baltimore. She is inspired by the nuances of day-to-day life of her surroundings in Baltimore, not as fixed narratives but a multiplicity of experiences. Much of her work is focused on the Archive– its history of development, challenges of the modern Archive, Archive as Artwork and how to ethically accumulate primary source documents. She uses her lens, collage and one site installations as the basis of her work, demonstrating the cultural and political narratives of black life, confronting oppressive politics and histories within communities of the African diaspora, and challenging ideas surrounding existing collections, culture and archives of Blackness.
It was in Baltimore where she learned about the importance of service, the power of collaboration and the effects of social change. SHAN has received recognition from publications like the Baltimore Beat for ‘Best Solo Show’, the City Paper for ‘Best Photographer’, and the Association of Health Care Journalists’ awarded her ‘2nd Place – Small Outlet Feature’ for her photojournalism piece “Losing Conner’s Mind” in the Atavist Magazine. SHAN’s work is in both public and private collections across the US including Baltimore Museum of Art, Reginald F Lewis Art Museum, the New Gallery of Modern Art and more.
“As my practice has started to incorporate film and an obsession with archival material from Black Baltimore’s past, I couldn’t have dreamed up a better scenario than to have a residency at institutions like The Parkway and The Enoch Pratt. I’m really looking forward to sharpening my craft and burying myself in the kind of research that, when shared, can inspire and inform others who are also yearning to learn more.”
past Programs
Collage & Conversation
SHAN will be sharing and discussing her work with photographic collage and thoughts about creativity, career, community, and her social activism stemming from a childhood in East Baltimore. While you’re here, try your hand at making collage art.
Portraits of Black Baltimore
Resident Artist: SHAN Wallace
Come get a free portrait taken by one of Baltimore’s most accomplished photographers! Starting in January 2022, African American community members, residents, young teens, grandmothers, full-time working mothers and fathers are invited to have their portrait taken and share their story at the Enoch Pratt Library. It is meant to serve the African American community as a way to continue the legacy and history of portraiture in the Black community. Portraiture was a way to show dignity, progression, and preserving communal and family histories especially during periods of not having access to professional photographers, or means and methods to archive and preserve ongoing Black history. This project is a continuation of work started in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Pieced Together
Resident Artist: SHAN Wallace
Join photographers and archivists SHAN Wallace and Webster Phillips of the I Henry Photo Project to help analyze, identify, and discuss archival photographs and materials from I Henry Phillips Sr’s collection. This is a unique opportunity to bring the archives to life and paint a fuller picture of the pictures. The Ihenryphotoproject focuses on identifying unknown people and places in Mr. Phillips work, preserving history and making it available for educational purposes. We aim to bridge the gap between the elders in our community and the youth.
Photo Credit: I Henry Phillips, Sr, Courtesy of Webster Phillips, III
Our City Archives
Resident Artist: SHAN Wallace
Be a part of history and help paint a more colorful and dynamic portrait of Baltimore by telling your story and submitting your photos!
The Lesbian Section
Resident Artist: SHAN Wallace
Help preserve Baltimore’s Lesbian history. Lesbian communities are invited to bring personal photographs, media, etc to be scanned and archived by Shan during this residency. This is also time for community members to participate by sharing an oral history of their experiences.
The oral history component is a one to two hour interview; topics will vary. The purpose of this program is to document personal histories, perspectives, and experiences. Interview will take place at SHAN’s library office and may include a photo session as well.