Student Profile: Shannon Ferguson
Email: sfergu31@vols.utk.edu
Education: Syracuse University (BFA)
Website: shannonfergusonart.net
Shannon Ferguson is an MFA student in Studio Art with a concentration in Printmaking at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Shannon Ferguson is from Fairview, Texas and graduated with a BFA in Studio Art from Syracuse University in 2020. After graduating, she spent time as a Navasota Artist-in-Residence in Navasota, Texas. While there, she continued working in woodblock prints and began creating handmade felt banners. In 2021, she began a banner making business that has created wholesale and advertising work for companies including Netflix, Fangoria, Cann, and BratBox. Meanwhile, she worked as the Children’s Programming Director at Pipe and Palette art studio in Plano, Texas. In the semester prior to attending UTK, she taught as an Art Teacher at Sloan Creek Intermediate School in Lucas, Texas.
Artist Statement
My work investigates intersections between printmaking and fiber arts through felt banners and relief prints. I create work that uses personal and universal symbolism to discuss topics relating to sensory experiences and female identity. I use found images, specifically vintage engravings, to depict modern narratives about often uncomfortable social situations. My work uses familiar media and imagery to investigate feelings of comfort and discomfort upon the viewer. Through the use of cut felt, I create felt banners that exist within the realms of art and artifact, therefore helping the viewer to contemplate the historical impact common objects have in our human history and memory.
