Lit Without Sherman: A love letter to the west end

Shanequa Gay
Lit Without Sherman: A Love Letter to the West End
Opening Night Reception: June 28, 2019
Extended through December 20

Lit Without Sherman: A Love Letter to the West End is a site specific commissioned work by Atlanta based artist Shanequa Gay. The exhibition examines and celebrates the past, present and future of Atlanta's West End neighborhood. Through a mix of mediums which includes wall murals, specially designed toile schema and video; Gay weaves a story of community, history, tradition and change.
“This exhibit is a collaboration,” states Gay. “Not only have I expressed my deep affection and feelings about the West End, but I worked with members of the community to help tell their stories. The West End neighborhood has a rich history and its residents include activists, artists, politicians, scholars and people from all walks of life. There are so many stories to share."

Shanequa Gay is known for creating work which uses the ‘homemakers aesthetic’ as a way of introducing new, old, or mythological narratives. Her goal is to create works that are public and exchange based, explore current social and ethical issues, and focus on the experiences of African-Ascendant bodies and communities. She has chosen decorum as her weapon of choice as it is a language that can speak through various mediums such as paints, prints, fabric, dinnerware, and wallpaper. Our first human introductions to the world begin in the home through the lessons of the ‘homemaker.’ Women are the mothers, nurturers and preeminent storytellers of our community. Through her Hammonds House Museum commission she gets the opportunity to authentically integrate community and art making.

Shanequa Gay
Shanequa Gay is an Atlanta native who completed her A.A. in Graphic Design and Fashion Marketing from the Art Institute of Atlanta, a B.A. in Painting from The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), summa cum laude, and her M.F.A. in Art History at Georgia State University. Gay was one of 10 selected artists for OFF THE WALL, a city-wide Mural initiative led by WonderRoot and the Atlanta 2018 Super Bowl Host Committee. In 2013, Gay was chosen by The Congressional Club to be the illustrator for the First Lady's Luncheon hostess gift for First Lady Michelle Obama. Gay's work includes television and film features in Lionsgate’s Addicted, the BET television series Being Mary Jane and Zoe Ever After, and Greenleaf on Oprah Winfrey’s network, OWN. Gay’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions across the United States.

Exhibition Credits
Video created by Michael Moss for Skylane Productions.
Shanequa Gay was assisted by Vanna Farley.

Lit Without Sherman: A Love Letter to the West End is supported in part by generous funding from the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture, City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs and Hammonds House Museum Members and Donors.

Hammonds House Museum is a Partner of the National Performance Network (NPN). This project is made possible in part by support from the NPN Artist Engagement Fund. Major contributors include the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency).