Photo courtesy of © Bradley Marks, shot at CAA Conference NY 2015
Christine J. Shanks
Image Maker, Designer, Educator
Christine J. Shanks was born in 1977 and raised in rural Harford County Maryland. She began as a painter and ceramist but decided to earn her BS in Visual Communications at Towson University, graduating in 2000. During her undergraduate program she concentrated on fine art photography, printmaking and graphic design, and utilizing traditional and digital media.
After earning her BS, she spent a year in the MFA photography program at the Savannah College of Art and Design, studying color and professional studio photography. In order to better continue her artistic pursuits she transferred to the masters program at the University of Delaware, where she earned an MFA in fine art photography in 2004.
Her bodies of fine art work explore many mediums and subjects. She makes art based on reoccurring themes within her life. Many of her series revolve around the Human Condition. Her work as been featured at venues such as the Delaware Center For Contemporary Arts and The New Orleans Darkroom. She was awarded "Best of Show" from the Sewell C. Biggs Museum of American Art, and has been published in Camera Arts Magazine. Her 3D ceramics work has been included in a lecture at the Southern Graphic Conference entitled "3D: Diversity, Discourse, Dimension" and has also been published in the book "Image Transfer on Clay" by Paul A. Wandless. Her work can also be seen internationally at such venues as Gallery Merid in Stuttgart Germany, as well as, on several online exhibitions and collaboration projects.
Christine Shanks also works professionally as a graphic and web designer, illustrator, and photographer. She has worked on a range of commercial projects, mainly for non profit clients, as she subscribes to the idea of "design for good", designing for a positive social impact. She has also worked on digital illustration for graphic novel proposals to Vertigo Comics. She is an avid birder and has developed an extensive portfolio of photographs of birds that migrate through and live in the Eastern Shore areas from New York to South Carolina.
She is also an educator in higher education, currently she is the Program Chair and tenure-track Associate Professor of the Graphic Design program at Tompkins Cortland Community College. Formerly she was an Assistant Professor at The Art Institute of Philadelphia teaching in the Graphic Design and Photography departments. In 2011 her educational methods were recognized with a Teaching Excellence award from The Art Institute of Philadelphia and in 2014 she was made Honored Faculty Member and Commencement Speaker, the highest teaching award at the college.
After earning her BS, she spent a year in the MFA photography program at the Savannah College of Art and Design, studying color and professional studio photography. In order to better continue her artistic pursuits she transferred to the masters program at the University of Delaware, where she earned an MFA in fine art photography in 2004.
Her bodies of fine art work explore many mediums and subjects. She makes art based on reoccurring themes within her life. Many of her series revolve around the Human Condition. Her work as been featured at venues such as the Delaware Center For Contemporary Arts and The New Orleans Darkroom. She was awarded "Best of Show" from the Sewell C. Biggs Museum of American Art, and has been published in Camera Arts Magazine. Her 3D ceramics work has been included in a lecture at the Southern Graphic Conference entitled "3D: Diversity, Discourse, Dimension" and has also been published in the book "Image Transfer on Clay" by Paul A. Wandless. Her work can also be seen internationally at such venues as Gallery Merid in Stuttgart Germany, as well as, on several online exhibitions and collaboration projects.
Christine Shanks also works professionally as a graphic and web designer, illustrator, and photographer. She has worked on a range of commercial projects, mainly for non profit clients, as she subscribes to the idea of "design for good", designing for a positive social impact. She has also worked on digital illustration for graphic novel proposals to Vertigo Comics. She is an avid birder and has developed an extensive portfolio of photographs of birds that migrate through and live in the Eastern Shore areas from New York to South Carolina.
She is also an educator in higher education, currently she is the Program Chair and tenure-track Associate Professor of the Graphic Design program at Tompkins Cortland Community College. Formerly she was an Assistant Professor at The Art Institute of Philadelphia teaching in the Graphic Design and Photography departments. In 2011 her educational methods were recognized with a Teaching Excellence award from The Art Institute of Philadelphia and in 2014 she was made Honored Faculty Member and Commencement Speaker, the highest teaching award at the college.