Shawn Demarest received a BFA from the University of Colorado with a focus on printmaking and painting, a BA in Mathematics, and a scholarship to attend the Cleveland Institute of Art's program in Lacoste, France. Later studies led to an MA in Architecture. Demarest is the recipient of RACC (Regional Arts and Culture Council) Individual Project Grants and a Professional Development Grant. She was awarded residencies to Playa Summer Lake, Mojave National Preserve, The University Club of Portland, and The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation. Demarest has multi-panel installations in Portland's Rivereast Building and the library of Portland Community College. She has individual paintings in RACC's Portable Works Collection, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), Touchmark West Hills, Gladys McCoy Health Department Headquarters and three New Mexico Art public spaces purchases including University of New Mexico (UNM) Hospital Tower.
Shawn Demarest has exhibited with SAM Gallery, MoMo Taos and Waterstone Gallery.
After living in a small village in Northern New Mexico for six years, Shawn returned to the Pacific Northwest in 2025 and lives in the St Johns neighborhood of Portland, OR.
"In late 2023, after the war in Gaza broke out, I began following photojournalists in Gaza on Instagram. I realized I was witnessing a genocide unfolding. The dissonance created from living a peaceful artist's life while witnessing horrors enabled by my country's provided bombs became overwhelming. I stopped painting. Then a Middle East Monitor video caught my attention; two men sitting on beat up plastic chairs feeding cats. The standing buildings showed signs of explosions and piles of rubble lined an empty street. Yet, here were two smiling friends bantering with an unseen photojournalist. The resilience, humanity and heartfelt connection these guys embodied shone through. The composition caught my eye. On a lark, I painted a version of it over an old painting. I felt a release. I became an active witness amplifying a meaningful scene. This led to the creation of more paintings. All of the paintings in this series credit the photojournalist when possible and are available in exchange for donations made directly to the photographer or to an organization on the ground in Gaza." |
Media: Oil | Painting
Studio Number: 5
Address: 6635 N Baltimore Ave, #220 Portland OR 97203
Community: N Portland
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Email: shawndemarest@gmail.com
Website: shawndemarest.com
Instagram: @shawndemarest
