Ernest Shaw American, b. 1969

Ernest Shaw Jr., a Baltimore native, earned his BFA from Morgan State University, his MFA from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and is currently working towards his PhD in Philosophy/Art at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts. Shaw views teaching as an artistic medium and has served as an adjunct professor at institutions including Johns Hopkins University, Towson State University, and the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has held residencies at MASS MoCA, Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, NY, Studios @ Key West, FL, and the VCCA at Amherst, VA. Shaw is the recipient of the prestigious 2022 Mary Sawyers Imboden Prize and received the 2021 Baker Artist Award. According to Shaw, his work seeks to illustrate the humanity of his subjects, in turn highlighting the humanity of the viewer, emphasizing the reciprocity between art and audience.