BIO
Shane Pennington's work engages the balance, and fragility, of essential dichotomies. Between the ephemeral and the enduring, nature and the human construct, Pennington's subjects are often skewed metaphorically and physically, prompting the viewer to contemplate life and its meaning from an alternative perspective. His use of many media and textures, from scultpure and painting to digital video, allows for a diverse artistic language. The resultant works conjure an energy that reflects upon life, death, cycle, and universal consciousness.
Shane Pennington is a Dallas-based artist and a co-founder of AURORA, a public arts organization working at the intersection of art, technology and community that presents works by the most visionary artists of our time. To date AURORA has attracted more than 300,000 visitors and has commissioned over 320 local and international artists. AURORA has expanded over the years from a small public arts organization to a multifaceted institution with the ability to give back to artists and creatives in the region. Pennington was a recipient of the “New Dallas Nine” award from D Magazine and has exhibited internationally at the Paddington Contemporary Gallery in Sydney, Australia and at Sur la Montagne, Berlin. He also counts many world-recognized institutions and corporations among his collectors, including Alana in Sydney, The Gaedeke Group, Caldwell Cassady & Curry, Autonomy, The Regis Corporation, Dallas City Hall, Moody Performance Hall, TEDxSMU, and JP Morgan Chase, by whom he was commissioned to install his work in the lobby of their flagship tower in Dallas.
"Much of the subject matter within my work is influenced from nature and its relationship to humanity and spirituality. I frequently draw inspiration from the unique geological area of the Texas Hill Country, where the landscape is both beautiful, yet at times arid and unforgiving. In contrast, within this struggle for resources, you will also see magnificent old oak trees. The landscape provides a base within my work as it reflects upon our struggles in life and purpose in life. I often contemplate a future point when our environmental state may be further depleted. This compels me to document, record, and draw inspiration from the natural world that is currently before us."
CV
Education
- Studied under Artist Virgie Cornelius, founder of Llano Art Guild
- Texas Tech University, B.B.A. MIS
Honors and Awards
- 2023 Patron Magazine June -July issue / Art Influencers
- 2015 Selected by the City of Dallas Cultural Affairs, Love Field Modernization Program -Artist Selection Panel
- 2012 Commissioned artist by City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs for the Dallas City Performance Hall “Points of Life”
- 2011 Selected by the Dallas Arts District and TEDxSMU , public art installation “Transcendence”
- 2011 The MasterMinds Finalist: Dallas Observer
- 2010 Selected by the City of Dallas Cultural Affairs as a preapproved artist on their selection list for public art.
- 2009 New Dallas Nine Award
- 2009 NYArts Magazine Top 500 Artists' Websites
- 2009 Selected Artist for The Texas Sculpture Association Juried Art Show
Group Exhibitions
- 2023 Therein, Waterfall Gallery, NY
- 2023 Blooming Resilience, Waterfall Gallery, NY
- 2022 Such Things: Reflections of Nature, Waterfall Gallery, New York, NY
- 2022 Phenomenal Women, Waterfall Gallery, New York, NY
- 2021 Artful Living Project, Bergdorf Goodman, New York, NY
- 2020 Restore, Waterfall Gallery, New York, NY
- 2019 Re: Collection, Waterfall Gallery, New York, NY
- 2018 Infinite Grace, Waterfall Gallery, New York, NY
- 2018 New Book, Waterfall Gallery, New York, NY
- 2017 Trees, A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in, Valley House Dallas, Texas
- 2017 Re:collection, Waterfall Gallery , New York, NY
- 2017 A Sustaining Life, Kate Shin Gallery/ Bergdorf Goodman, New York, NY
- 2016 A Sustaining Life, Kate Shin Gallery, NYC
- 2016 The Summer Art Loft, Bergdorf Goodman, New York, NY
- 2016 The Need for My Care, Kate Shin Gallery, New York, NY
- 2016 Chasm & Coil, Hudson, New York
- 2016 Kate Shin Gallery, New York, NY
- 2014 NYFOL, New York, NY
- 2014 SculptCAD Rapid Artist, One Arts Plaza, Dallas Texas
- 2013 Aurora, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Texas
- 2013 Sculpt CAD Rapid Artists, Dallas Texas
- 2011 Dallas Contemporary Wish! Dallas Texas
- 2011 Aurora, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Texas
- 2010 Texas Sculpture Association Juried Art Show
- 2010 Aurora Old City Park, Dallas, Texas
- 2010 HCG Summer Selections
- 2010 SculptCAD Rapid Artist, Anaheim, California
- 2010 TractorBeam Gallery
- 2010 Dallas Contemporary Wish! Dallas, Texas
- 2010 Fresh Faces 2×2, Dallas Texas
- 2009 Texas Sculpture Association Juried Art show @ HCG Gallery
- 2009 D Art Slam at f.i.g. Dallas, Texas “ Winner of the New Dallas Nine Award”
- 2009 Off the Grid, Dallas Texas
- 2009 HCG Gallery, New Year New Art, Dallas Texas
- 2003-2009 Cedars Open Art Studios, Dallas, Texas
- 2008 HCG Gallery, 2man show with Michael Ledoux, Dallas Texas
- 2008 North Texas Business for Culture and the Arts, Dallas Texas
- 2004 ALLO at Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, Texas
- 2004 Janette Kennedy Gallery, Dallas, Texas
- 2004 Erykah Badu's B.L.IN.D, Dallas Texas
- 2002 Pennington/Longhofer, Dallas Texas
- 2002 Museum Works Gallery, Aspen Colorado
Solo Exhibitions
- 2021 Bi-annually, Parigi, Dallas Texas
- 2012 Leaving the Shade, Sur La Montagne, Berlin Germany
- 2011 Transcendence, The Dallas Arts District
- 2011 Annually, SP Studio, Dallas Texas
- 2004-2015 bi-annually, Parigi, Dallas, Texas
- 2008 Alana, Sydney, Australia
- 2008 Steel, Atlanta, Georgia
- 2008 Steel, Dallas, Texas
- 2006 Dwellings, Dallas, Texas
- 2003 Dralion, Dallas, Texas
- 2003 Manhattan, Dallas, Texas
- 2002 Metropolitan, Dallas Texas
Selected Publications
- Fort Worth, New Stories: New Futures' Exhibit to Light up Pioneer Tower with Art, August 17, 2021
- Art&Seek, Fort Worth Public Art to Premiere New Media, August 21, 2021
- D Magazine, Aurora Returns in October with a Drive-Thru Exhibit, Sept 25, 2020.
- Dallas Observer, 10 People and Places Were Thankful for in the Dallas Culture, by Lauren Smart, Nov 25th, 2015.
- The Book, Neiman Marcus, Living Color, by Tracy Achor Hayes, photography Ruven Afanador, April 2015, page (66)
- Culture Map, “2013: 10 must-see moments at transformative Dallas Arts District experience”, by Kendal Morgan, October, 10, 2013
- Art & Seek, “Café momentum: Eat, Drink and Change Lives, Art & Seek, by Gail Sachson, March 2015.
- The Creatorsproject, “Dallas Gets Flashier with Arrival of the Aurora Light Festival”, by Julie Baumgardner, October 2013
- Patron Magazine, “Process of illumination”, Interview: by Patricia Mora, Fall 2013, (pages 48-50)
- Hyperallergic, “For One Night, a City Lights up with Art”, by Sarah Walko
- Front / Row D Magazine, “Interview: Artist Shane Pennington on His LED Curtain Installation at City Performance Hall”, by Peter Simek, September 2012
- Art + Culture, “Works of Note:”, Arts + Culture, by Charissa Terranova, Oct. 28, 2011
- CBS DFW, “Light Shines on Dallas Arts District for Aurora 2011”, by Maddie Grussendorf, October 24, 2011
- TEDxSMU, “Shane Pennington's Transcendence Art installation”, October 2011
- FD Luxe, “Hocus focus: Aurora art experience to transform the Wyly Theatre”, by Christopher Wynn, October 2013
- On Magazine, “Why Texas?” The Texas Issue, 2010 (page 10)
- “Rise” The Rise of Artists in the Dallas Cedars Arts Community, Joshua King, January 201 (pages 44-45)
- D Magazine, “The New Dallas 9” Announcing the winners of the D Art Slam at f.i.g., D Magazine, by Joan Arbery, August 2009 (page 66-71)
- “Annual Guide to the Internet: The Top 500 Artist Websites in 2009”, Catalogue, Volume 13 Number 11/12 page 79, NYArts Magazine, International Edition, 2009
- Dallas Modern Luxury, “The Radar Dallas Now”, March 2007 (page 54)
- FD luxe, “The Cedars: Art Takes Root in the Shade of Downtown”, Interview, September 2005, (page 25)
- Dallas Modern Luxury, “Starting with a Bang”, Interview, June 2005 (page 20, 46, 48, & 160)
- Front Desk Magazine, “Culture/ Shane Pennington”, Interview, May 2005, (pages 54-55)
- “Art Attack, Here & Now”, Interview, Where Magazine, March 2005 (page 9)
Selected Collections
- Caldwell, Cassady, & Curry Law Firm, Dallas, Texas
- Patty Alper, Hyattsville, Maryland
- Miky Lee, South Korea
- Nancy and Richard Rogers, Dallas Texas
- Madison and John Isner
- Moody Performance Hall, Dallas office of Cultural Affairs, City of Dallas
- Nancy Rogers, Dallas, Texas
- Debbie & John Tolleson, Dallas, Texas
- Café Momentum, Dallas, Texas
- Myron Kunin Art Collection, New York, New York
- Charles and Dee Wyly Art Collection, Aspen Colorado
- Alana, Sydney, Australia
- JP Morgan Chase Tower, Dallas Texas
- Gaedeke Group, Dallas, Texas
- G.A. Donovan Consulting Corp, Boston, Massachusetts
- Amerest Acturus corp, Dallas, Texas
- Autonomy etalk, Dallas Texas
- Keiko Ibi, New York, New York
- Silver Lining Foundation, Aspen Colorado
- Erykah Badu, Dallas Texas
- Johnny Bench, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Joanne McLaughlin, Toronto, Canada
- Jacques Nasser, New York, New York
- Dick and Bobbi Snyder, Dallas Texas
- Karla and Mark McKinley, Dallas Texas
- Christopher Reed, Paris France
- Richard Farmer & Kirsten Lee, Los Angeles
Creative Director/Aurora New Media
- Aurora 2021, Pioneer Tower, Fort Worth Texas
- Aurora 2020, Dallas City Hall, Dallas Texas
- Aurora,2018, Dallas City Hall, Dallas Texas
- Aurora,2016, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Texas
- Aurora 2015, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Texas
- Aurora 2013, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Texas
- Aurora 2011, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Texas
- Aurora 2010, Heritage Village, Dallas Texas
Set Design
- Bloom 2016, SIX, Bruce Woods Dance Project, Dallas TX
Support with Art for Charities
- Dallas Contemporary Wish!
- The Children's Assessment Center
- Dallas Children's Advocacy Center
- Human Rights Campaign, Washington DC
- North Texas Business for Culture and Arts
- AIDS Interfaith
- African American Museum of the Arts
- Dallas Museum of Art
- Two x Two, AMFAR, Sponsored by DMA & Hotel
- SPCA
- Black Tie Dinner, Dallas Texas
- North Texas Special Olympics
- Reading and Radio Resources
- Troy & Emmitt Charity Classic
- Local Support and Contributions of art supplies for Homeless artists