Shannon Benine

Bio

Born in Tacoma, Washington in 1978, I am an artist, curator, educator, and advocate. I dedicate my practice to dismantling dominant narratives and empowering viewers to engage with the lived experiences of marginalized communities within the United States. Through a collaborative process, I create multimedia installations, photographic series, and artist books that grapple with themes of memory, loss, and the enduring impacts of social justice. My artistic exploration, informed by my identity as a queer, fluid (she/they), dyslexic, and autoimmune artist, delves into the human condition amidst environmental degradation, war, and the complexities of identity. Curating exhibitions that showcase diverse artists tackling similar themes further extends my commitment to social justice, fostering dialogue and raising awareness through the power of art.

My artwork has been held in several collections including the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the National Centre of Contemporary Art in Moscow, Russia and the Kalaupapa National Historic Museum in Hawai’i. I have received grant support from multiple institutions including the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Midwest Society for Photographic Education and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. My work has been exhibited at the Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio; the Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago, Illinois; the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, Massachusetts and the Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle, Washington.

I hold an MFA in Photography from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2007) and a BFA in Photography and BA in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts with a Minor in Art History from the University of Washington in Seattle (2003). I have taught photography in higher education for nearly two decades, including at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Vermont College of Fine Arts, Bradley University, Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) and Sonoma State University (SSU).

I live in Los Angeles County and work as a tenured Associate Professor of Photography and served as the Director and Curator for the Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography (2019-2022) within the Department of Photography at the University of La Verne (ULV) in La Verne, California.