NEWS

Vitus Shell, Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Design, has been named one of Louisiana Life’s Louisianians of the Year.

The honor is given to those who “stand out in their professions, give back, and represent what’s best about the Pelican State,” according to the magazine.

Shell has taught at Louisiana Tech, Grambling State University, and the University of Louisiana-Monroe. He is a graduate of the Memphis College of Art and earned his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Mississippi.

“Vitus’s artistic vision and activism are truly inspirational,” said Karl Puljak, Director of the School of Design. “Through his paintings and his service to our region, he is a vital voice for our state and a role model for our students.”

His paintings have appeared in the Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s 2017 Louisiana Contemporary and the Joan Mitchell Foundation’s 2008 show in New York City. In addition, Shell held residencies at the Joan Mitchell Foundation in New Orleans, at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha, and at the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts in New Berlin, New York.

Shell currently teaches Drawing in the School of Design.