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Vitus Shell

@theshellofvitus

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Artist, drafter, painter, entrepreneur, graphic designer, inspirational person, brother, son, Who Dat, Louisiana red hot pepper boy, etc..

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TONIGHT!

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What if collage is a time machine? Mixed media artist @theshellofvitus breaks down how he samples history, identity, and culture like hip hop and turns it into paintings. Tap in and tell us what detail you always miss in art? YouTube episode premieres tomorrow morning! Audio version available now!

#hilltopglove #vitusshell

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Notes on a year older:

Move around more.
Get in your feelings more.
Don’t go numb.
Nostalgia can become a weight.
Everybody in your life for a season.
The blank pages in front of you are beautiful.
You are currently the youngest you will ever be, act like it.
You are currently the oldest you have ever been, act like it.
It’s ok when people determine you no longer useful, that doesn’t mean they used you.
You are loved.
Fall in love with the questions
It’s ok to not trust answers.
no matter what the algorithm tells you, attention is a hollow currency.
Honor the difference between child like wonder and childish wonder.
Welcome the space between great faith and great doubt.
Curb your desire to be right.
It’s harder to carry memories than sins.
You are not defined only by what you do.
Too much shine can dull the soul.
Work so that nostalgia never becomes more important than imagination.
Pray more, worry less.
Always leave room for a miracle.
You have miles to go, and you’re on your way.

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ILLEST by @theshellofvitus
Art exhibit at @theunionomaha

Friday, September 11, 2026

5pm: Exhibition open
6p: Artist talk w/ Vitus Shell
8pm: Exhibition closed

Music curated by @getejikewithit

Free to the public

About the Artist:
Vitus Shell is a mixed-media collage painter born in Monroe, LA, where he lives and works. He has exhibited numerous times including at The McKenna Museum of African American Art, Stephen F. Austin University, and Miami University in Oxford, OH. He has also painted murals for the National Civil Rights Museum’s NBA Pioneers exhibit, Indianola City Pool in Indianola, MS, and Union Parish Elementary School in Farmerville, LA.

About the Exhibition:
Vitus’ new exhibition, Illest, is a series of portraits in his colorful and dynamic mixed-media style. Through this show, his goal is to give agency to the Black community, showing the true spirit of his subjects by painting them into collages.

Vitus says, “‘Illest’ is a hip hop term, meaning most impressive or highly skilled. In the truest form of Black vernacular, the word ‘illest’ defines the resilience of the community, and similar to collage painting, how layered histories shape a person.”

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Faculty Reception and Lecture Series!

5:30 p.m. | Sandel Hall 236
Hear from our Art Faculty members as they share a little about themselves, their creative practices, and the art they make.

6:15 p.m. | Bry Hall
We’ll walk over to Bry Hall for the Closing Reception of the Faculty Show.
Refreshments will be served, and this is a great opportunity to ask questions about the artwork, meet the artists, or enjoy the exhibition.

DON’T MISS THIS! We hope to see you there! #FacultyReception #FacultyLectureSeries #FacultyArtShow #artexhibition

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✨ Please join us in welcoming Daija Essien, our new Visiting Assistant Art Professor, to ULM! We’re so excited to have you join our faculty!

#ULMArt #ULM #ArtFaculty #GraphicDesign #VisualArts

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Join us for the opening of INHERITANCE, a group exhibition bringing together six artists whose work considers what is passed down, carried forward, remembered, transformed, and made our own.

This exhibition is also a call to community to gather, witness, celebrate, and make room for the stories that shape us all.

Friday, September 18 | 6–8 PM
Saturday, September 19 | 12–4 PM
The Lorenz | 233 W. Lorenz Blvd., Jackson, MS

Featuring works by Kynslie Allen, Kynadie Batteast, April Fitzpatrick, Nana Kumi, Christina McField, and TheVitaminCea.

Come see what we’ve inherited and what we’re choosing to do with it.

Free admission. RSVP encouraged. Link in bio. Flyer Credit @theshellofvitus

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Join us for the opening of INHERITANCE, a group exhibition bringing together six artists whose work considers what is passed down, carried forward, remembered, transformed, and made our own.

This exhibition is also a call to community to gather, witness, celebrate, and make room for the stories that shape us all.

Friday, September 18 | 6–8 PM
Saturday, September 19 | 12–4 PM
The Lorenz | 233 W. Lorenz Blvd., Jackson, MS

Featuring works by Kynslie Allen, Kynadie Batteast, April Fitzpatrick, Nana Kumi, Christina McField, and TheVitaminCea.

Come see what we’ve inherited and what we’re choosing to do with it.

Free admission. RSVP encouraged. Link in bio. Flyer Credit @theshellofvitus

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Creating this piece with Vitus Shell reminded me that art is more than what we see on the surface.

While filming and editing his process, I got a closer look at how his personal journey, experiences, and self-discovery have shaped the work he creates today. Every image carries a piece of that journey.

I’m grateful I had the opportunity to help bring part of his journey to life through film.

Take a moment to watch, listen, and experience the world through a small part of Vitus’ visit to Columbia.

Follow and support @theshellofvitus to learn more about his art and the story behind it.

#VitusShell #BlackArtists #ArtistStory #VisualArt #UnderstandingSelf

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Artist in Residence @701cca : Vitus Shell July 1 - July 28 | Born in Monroe in 1978, Shell, who has taught art at the University of Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech University and Grambling State University, holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Memphis College of Art where he and other artists formed a collective that launched his career and those of other African-American artists.

“My paintings,” says Shell, “are geared toward the Black experience, giving agency to people from this community through powerful image deconstruction, sampling and remixing identity, civil rights and contemporary Black culture. My artistic goal is to exude the hip-hop lifestyle with a Southern vernacular.” - Louisiana Life Magazine

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DOMO @jakeemdadream and I had the pleasure of being subjects for Vitus Shell’s @theshellofvitus ongoing project taking place at 701cca @701cca in Columbia. Not once, but twice! (More on the second shoot later.)

Our solo shoots initiated our meeting Vitus for the first time. We had the opportunity to see the space he is occupying for his residency and made sure to connect with him beyond the day’s events.

Vitus Shell is a talented artist based out of Monroe, Louisiana. We were impressed by his accolades which were reflective of the creations and community work he is doing.

Vitus has organized weekly photo shoots throughout the month to use as references to create life size and or large scale paintings. He has a unique style and we are so excited to see how he realizes everyone’s presence and style.

There is one of the last opportunities to be a subject of his this Saturday at 3pm! If you are interested, I highly recommend you signing up.

Vitus is in residency at 701cca through the end of the month and has an artist talk tomorrow, Wednesday July 22nd at 7pm. If you are in Columbia and/or are willing to travel, please pull up! The intentions around his work and overall mission runs deep.

Babe and I got to be ourselves and show up in this experience naturally. We love doing things together, though we also got to each have our own moments. After all, even though we enjoy each other’s company and synchronicity, we recognize that we are two distinct beings. This shoot was a great reminder of that.

What’s been fun is that our invited outings have been like dates. The more we get to spend time with each other the more our love grows. Road trips allow for deep reflective conversations, opportunities to vibe out to music while holding hands along the way, or maybe one of us may be in need of a nap — and, we both respect that.

I know, it’s cheesy. But it’s also ineffable.

I love my man.

Crazy to know my best friend will really be my best friend forever.

I’ve seen soo many people come and go. But this man really wants to love each other forever. And, it shows.

Thank you Vitus for cultivating an experience that extends beyond what you may have ev

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✨ MODEL CALL: Be Part of a New Work of Art ✨

701 CCA’s Artist-in-Residence, Vitus Shell, is looking for African American community members to participate in a special photo session that will serve as inspiration for a new series of paintings created during his residency.

📅 Saturday, July 25
🕒 3:00–7:00 PM
⏱️ 15-minute photo sessions
📍 701 CCA Gallery (Suite 212 Upstairs)
701 Center for Contemporary Art
701 Whaley St., Columbia, SC 29201

We’re seeking participants who are:
✨ African American
✨ Ages 18–40
✨ All shapes and sizes
✨ Male, female, or non-binary

Dress code: Stylish, dapper, urban, or your own unique style—come dressed to express yourself!

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to an artist’s creative process and become part of a project that celebrates the beauty, identity, and stories within our community.

Register by scanning the QR code on the flyer. We can’t wait to see you there!

Application:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HIAn0lZJM7yf2uH2GuBi8fXL4pL7qDsG5H7cUkypQwE/edit?usp=sharing

#701CCA #VitusShell #ArtistInResidence #ColumbiaSC #CommunityArt

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