Creative Placemaking At Cooper Lane Elementary School

Creative PlacemakingArt of Place

Apr 24

Written By Jendayi Asha

Untiled Mural (2023)

Medium: Paint

STATEMENT

This art work created by Shawn James reflects themes of community, identity, cultural vibrancy, equity and diversity which the school chose to highlight as part of the Prince George’s County Beautification Initiative.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

SHAWN JAMES

Shawn James received his BFA in painting, photography, and art education from Old Dominion University, and went on to complete an MFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art. For over 20 year, James has worked in a variety of media to complete public and private commissions across the United States. He has extensive experience with small- and large-scale public art projects and working collaboratively with municipal organizations, private businesses, and community members. He is deeply involved in community arts, community activism, and youth mentorship.

His dedication to education includes his role as a program director for the Access Art Youth Center — an outreach program that provides art lessons for inner-city youth. Since his tenure, the organization expanded to a million-dollar program, spanning three schools on the west side of Baltimore. In addition to his artistic practice, James has been an Open Society Institute Fellow, served as director of the Baltimore Mural Program, and most recently was the Community Arts Coordinator for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts. For the latter, he managed the creation of over 150 murals and community-based projects.

James is the owner/operator of Baltimore-based Mural Masters, Inc., which he founded 15 years ago. He started the company to offer an outreach and mentorship program for inner-city youth. Through direct involvement in his mural projects, James teaches teens to run a business, maintain a summer job, and the process of creating a mural from the initial concept through installation, all while demonstrating how public art can beautify their neighborhoods.