Louisiana-born artist and university assistant professor Vitus Shell brings his compelling exhibition, “Free Lunch,” to the Merkle Gallery at the South Arkansas Arts Center from August 5 through September 19, 2025. Shell’s powerful mixed-media works focus his interpretation of the black experience by deconstructing, sampling, and remixing themes of identity, civil rights, and contemporary black culture. An artist’s reception will be held on Thursday, August 7, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, offering visitors the chance to meet Shell and engage with his creative process.

Shell starts his creative process by photographing models and then sketching and painting their portraits on paper. He creates collage backgrounds, pastes the portraits onto them, adds layers, and finishes with acrylics and grommets. He prefers unstretched canvases for their presentation. By blending imagery with words and symbols, he aims to connect with a wide audience, making his work relatable.

The “Free Lunch” exhibition offers an important opportunity to engage with contemporary black culture through compelling visual storytelling. Shell explains, “I’ve always done figures because I feel like people that don’t come from art backgrounds can at least relate to that part of the work. Even if it’s an idea they might not be familiar with, I think it gives them a place to enter the piece.” His focus on community and accessibility invites viewers into intimate narratives of black life, making his work both personal and impactful.

Born and based in Monroe, Louisiana, Vitus Shell is a distinguished artist whose work centers on portraits of everyday black people. He employs a blend of painting, printmaking, and collage, often incorporating graphic design elements to create dynamic and thought-provoking images. Shell’s art represents a quest for truth: an investigation into black families and a means for him to grasp his own identity through history.

Shell has served as an educator at Grambling State University and Louisiana Tech University and currently holds the position of Assistant Professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. His educational background includes a BFA from Memphis College of Art in 2000 and an MFA from the University of Mississippi in 2008. Shell has participated in residencies at esteemed institutions such as the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Anderson Ranch for Art, Hermitage Artist Retreat, Mass MoCA, Joan Mitchell Center, Skowhegan School of Art, and Masur Museum of Art.

Throughout his career, Shell’s work has been exhibited widely across the country, including at The McKenna Museum of African American Art, Stephen F. Austin University, Miami University, and numerous galleries and institutions. He has received several awards, among them the Joan Mitchell MFA Award and the 2024 Black History Cameo Award.

The galleries of the South Arkansas Arts Center, located at 110 East Fifth Street in El Dorado, are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Find more about the artist Shell Vitus on his website – www.theshellofvitus.com