Shana Levenson

Shana Levenson is a representational painter from Albuquerque, NM.  Her passion for the arts led her to pursue a BA in Fashion Design from The University of Texas, in Austin, and after the birth of her children in 2009 and 2010, an MFA in Fine Art Painting from the Academy of Art University, in San Francisco. 

Shana’s work focuses on portraiture and the figure.  Her inspiration comes from painting people that are important in her life, and her goal is to capture each person’s story in an honest and meaningful way. Shana draws inspiration from her own experiences and uses specific series as a way to illustrate chapters in her life.  Her current work incorporates lace dresses along with surrealistic elements to highlight the strength and beauty of women.

Along with a busy painting and exhibition schedule, Shana runs a private art school out of her studio. She and her fiancé, artist David Kassan, also started Art Crit Academy online, which an ongoing online Live Mentorship program and community that is organic, catering to the needs of an individual's goals and skill level.  She currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her kids and fiancé.  

 

Workshops

2015 Portrait Drawing: David Kassan, Sadie Valeri Atelier, San Francisco, CA

2015 Portrait Painting: David Kassan, Rochester, NY (assistant)

2014 Portrait Painting: Costa Vavagiakis, Art Students League, NYC, NY

2014 Pastel Portrait Drawing: David Kassan, Gage Art School, Seattle, WA 

 

Teaching

2018 Drawing the Portrait from Life, Hull Acedmey, Dallas, TX

2018 Drawing the Portrait from Life, Seville, Spain

2018 Painting Beyond the Photo Workshop, Art Studio Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM

2018 Drawing the Portrait from Life Workshop, Art Studio Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM

2017 Painting Beyond the Photo Workshop, Art Studio Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM

2017 Drawing Beyond the Photo Workshop, Stellenbosch, South Africa

2017 Drawing Beyond the Photo Workshop, Art Studio Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM

2017 Painting the Skull from Life, Art Studio Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM

2017 Painting Beyond the Photo workshop, Art Studio Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM

2016 Drawing Beyond the Photo Workshop, Art Studio Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM
2016 Figure Drawing, New Mexico Art League, Albuquerque, NM

2015-current—adult and teen art classes, Albuquerque, NM

2015 Figure Drawing, New Mexico Art League, Albuquerque, NM

2015 Portrait Drawing, New Mexico Art League, Albuquerque, NM

2015 Portrait Painting: David Kassan, Scottsdale School of Art, Scottsdale, AZ (assistant)

2015 Portrait Painting: David Kassan, Rochester, NY (assistant)

 

 

 

Awards

2018 Chairman’s Choice Award, ARC Salon Show

2017 Best Oil Painting, NOAPS Best of America Exhibition

2017 Chairman’s Choice Award, ARC Salon Show

2016 3^rd Place, American Women Artist Online Juried Show

2015 Honorable Mention, ModPortrait Competition, MEAM, Barcelona, Spain

2015 Best of Show, Bold Brush competition, FASO.com

2015 Second Place, TRAC Online competition

2015 Gold Award, The American Artists Professional League

2015 Finalist in RayMar Online Competition

2014 First Place, Beaumont Art League, Beaumont, TX

2014 First Place, Naples Art Association, 50th Founders Juried Awards Exhibition, Naples, FL

2014 Gold Ribbon, FAME exhibition online

2014 First Place, Shades of Red Show, Vista, CA

2014 Second Place, Louisville Art Association, Louisville, CA

2014 First Place Award, EAFA Gallery, Seattle, WA

2014 Exhibition, NOPAS online international competition

 

 

 

Group Exhibitions

2018 ModPortrait, MEAM, Spain

2018 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries, London

2018 Women’s Group Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, NYC, NY

2018 Works on Paper, Dacia Gallery, NYC, NY

2017 "Something more than realism .. XI", Galería artelibre , Barcelona, Spain

2017 Distinction Gallery, CA

2017 Best of America, NOAPS, Castle Gallerieas, Fort Wayne, Indiana

2017 Women As Warriors, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL

2017 Sight Unseen, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO

2016 Miniature Group Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO

2016 Maxwell Alexander Online Show

2016, Holiday Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, NYC, NY

2016 Miniatures and More, Albuquerque Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM

2016 Contemporary Configuration Exhibition, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO

2016 Women Painting Women, RJD Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY

2016 Freak Out, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL

2016 Nexus, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO

2016 ModPortrait Exhibition, MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain

2016 Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA

2015 AAPL 87^th Grand National Exhibit, Salmagundi Club, NYC

2015 Women Painting Women, RJD Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY

2015 Tell Them Stories: Origins, Mark Miller Gallery, NYC

2015 Portrait Society of Atlanta, Maretta Cobb Art Museum, Atlanta, GA

2015 Unconfined Exhibition, Albuquerque, NM

2015 Academy of Art Spring Show, San Francisco, CA

2013 Academy of Art Spring Show, San Francisco, CA

 

Publications

June 2017 Cover and featured article, Artists Magazine

December 2015 Featured Artist to Watch, Southwest Art Magazine

June 2015 Featured Artist on FASO.com

May 2015 Staff pick on FASO.com Daily Art Show

April 2015 Artist to Watch, Rosemary Brushes Catalogue