Shantell Martin is a public speaker, intuitive philosopher, cultural facilitator, curator, choreographer, songwriter, performer, and more. In addition to prestigious solo shows at some of the most renowned art institutions—including the 92Y Gallery (New York City, NY), the iconic Albright Knox Gallery (Buffalo, NY), and the New Britain Museum of Contemporary Arts (New Britain, CT)—Shantell has carved a path for herself that is as much intellectual as a producer and visual artist. At Columbia University's Brown Institute for Media Innovation, she created a large-scale wall installation and worked with the Institute’s research group to explore how visual and computerized storytelling might influence media and technology innovation. At the NYU Tisch ITP (Interactive Telecommunications Program), she works with her students to push the boundaries of storytelling, visual art, and technology.
A fashion and design icon in her own right, Shantell collaborated with brands such as Vitra, Max Mara, Tiffany & Co, B&B Italia, and in 2021 The North Face launched a global capsule collection featuring her drawings inspired by pieces from their Search & Rescue archive. Shantell also collaborated with legendary artists such as Pulitzer Prize-winning performance artist Kendrick Lamar and acclaimed designer Kelly Wearstler. In 2019, she created large-scale drawings in the performance hall and foyer of the Lincoln Center for the company’s celebrated Art Series in collaboration with the prestigious New York City Ballet.
Some notable awards Shantell received are the 92Y, Extraordinary Women Award (2019), Shorty Award - Best in Art (2019), MoCADA Museum - Artist Advocacy Award (2017), and the Intel Women Who Spark Award - Women in Technology (2015, Awarded by People Magazine, People en Español, and ESSENCE Magazine, in partnership with Intel Corp).
Some of her recent solo exhibits include Subliminal Projects, CA, New Britain Museum of American Art, CT (2020), hpgrp Gallery, Tokyo, (2020) Band Of Vices Gallery, LA (2020), The May Room, Governors Island, NY (2019), Denver Art Museum, CO (2019), and Lincoln Center, New York City Ballet, NY (2019).