Shantell Martin: Past, Present, Future
Shantell Martin: Past, Present, Future explores the many dimensions of time, from the tangible traces of the past and the immediacy of the present to imagined visions of what lies ahead. The exhibition considers how the past shapes current experience, how the present influences the future, and how people move through the continuous, often elusive flow of time.
Martin has created an immersive, site-specific installation for the West Gallery of the Seward Johnson Center for the Arts. It includes textiles, murals, an engagement space, and a newly commissioned outdoor sculpture. The exhibition is curated by Kathleen Ogilvie Greene, Chief Audience Officer at Grounds For Sculpture.
When: Sunday, September 20, 2026, through Sunday, July 23, 2028
Location: West Gallery, Seward Johnson Center for the Arts, Grounds For Sculpture
Artist: Shantell Martin
Featured works: The exhibition includes Martin’s *BENN* (2026), made with polyurethane, paint, and steel; *Along these Lines* (2026), an ink-on-wall work; and *Reply Cards* (2023–2025), archival prints with UV-embedded lamination, each measuring 24 by 24 inches.
About the artist: London-born Shantell Martin MBE, who is based in Los Angeles, developed a practice that combines drawing, performance, digital media, and immersive installation. After earning a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and illustration from Central Saint Martins in 2003, she moved to Japan and built a career as a VJ, creating live-drawn analog and digital visuals for DJs, dancers, and musicians. Her work crosses the boundaries between commercial projects and fine art. In 2016, she collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on a live performance at Art Basel in Miami.
Selected exhibitions: Martin’s recent solo projects include *The Path: A Meditation in Lines* in Times Square, New York (2024); *KITES*, a ballet presented at the Boston Opera House (2022); *Shantell Martin: Words and Lines* at the Denver Art Museum (2021); *NEW/NOW* at the New Britain Museum of American Art (2020); *Waves* at Band of Vices Gallery in Los Angeles (2020); *The May Room* on Governors Island (2019); and *Find Your Way* at Lincoln Center in New York City (2019).
Awards and honors: Martin was appointed an MBE in the 2024 King’s New Year Honours for services to the British arts and charity. Her other honors include the 92Y Extraordinary Women Award (2019), the Shorty Award for Best in Art (2019), the MoCADA Museum Artist Advocacy Award (2017), and the Intel Women Who Spark Award (2015).
Support: The exhibition is supported by Katie Adams and Tony Schaeffer, Lauren and Scott Eder, and Julie and Michael Nachamkin. Additional support comes from the Brooke Barrie Art Fund and Marjorie Ogilvie, with further support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Atlantic Foundation.
Tickets: Price not available