By Rob C. Moore
Groton, Mass. — Lawrence Academy is pleased to announce that Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary artist Shaun Leonardo is our J. William Mees Visiting Scholar for the 2022-2023 school year.
Shaun El C. Leonardo is an American artist and performer who explores the relationships between masculinity, sports, race, and culture. He will present a public exposition in the Richardson-Mees Performing Arts Center at Lawrence Academy on Thursday, February 9, 2023, on the campus of Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. The event is free and open to all.
Leonardo has received grants, residencies, and fellowships from the New York Foundations for the Arts, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, The New York Studio School, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Art Matters, McColl Center for Visual Art, and Creative Capital. Leonardo's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. His work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, LACMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The Walker Art Center, Studio Museum in Harlem, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico.
This past summer, Shaun had an exhibit at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA: https://massmoca.org/event/shaun-leonardo/
A skilled and experienced communicator who has run impactful workshops with various communities and groups, we are fortunate to have this kind of engagement and exposure with him over the extended period provided by the Visiting Scholar program.
Shaun’s work is well-described in this video:
Recently, Leonardo visited the LA campus and worked with faculty and students.
If you have any questions about Mr. Leonardo's visit, or about the Mees Visiting Scholar program, feel free to contact Lawrence Academy
About the J. William Mees Visiting Scholar Program
Established in 2010 and named in honor of longtime former faculty member Bill Mees, the J. William Mees Visiting Scholar Program provides the means for Lawrence Academy students to enjoy first-hand opportunities to learn what professionals do in their fields, how they go about their work, and what makes them successful. Now into its second decade, this year’s program is especially poignant following Bill’s passing last year. The impact of this year’s scholar will be a fitting tribute to Bill’s legacy.