Ohio State University has chosen Kate Shannon, an associate professor at their Mansfield campus, as this year's Artist Laureate, a position designed to foster connections through art across the state. Starting her career when film photography was the norm, Shannon has embraced the evolution towards digital, finding a balance between the old and the new. In comments to Ohio State News, she reflected on the transition, saying, "I’ve been fascinated by that change. I think about what we gain and what we lose as we shift from a physical photographic process to a digital one."
As the third Artist Laureate at Ohio State, Shannon's role includes traveling across the state to share her photography and involve local communities in her art. "This is a wonderful opportunity," she stated in an Ohio State News interview. "I’m excited about it. I’m hoping it will also open up new avenues for my own artwork." Shannon emphasized her intent to create art in collaboration with communities, possibly finding inspiration in those shared experiences and interactions.
Lisa Florman, Ohio State's vice provost for the arts, underscored the significance of Shannon's appointment in the selection process. "The events she’s proposing involve both hands-on making and historical inquiry into photography, which struck a chord," Florman mentioned, according to Ohio State News. Her assignment fits the program's goal of bringing the arts to areas with limited access, tapping into the common thread of photography that resonates so deeply with the personal histories we all carry in our own family albums.
Shannon's experience at the Mansfield campus has been rewarding. She works with students unfamiliar with the arts and guides them to appreciate and produce their own art. She considers it a significant accomplishment when those students go from never setting foot in an art gallery to displaying their works. "Creating those types of experiences for students is really meaningful," Shannon told Ohio State News. Moreover, she's looking forward to offering her students a tangible connection to the process of photography in a seemingly boundless digital age.
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