Shaun Slifer

Pittsburgh, PA, United States

Shaun Slifer (b.1979) is a multi-disciplinary Appalachian artist, nonfiction author, and museum professional based in Pittsburgh, PA. His creative practice investigates memory through a legible hybrid of research, activism, and alternative exhibition strategies, directly challenging the oppression of currently-dominant historical narratives, both social and ecological. Shaun regularly works in collaboration with artists and other specialists, and in collectively-structured groups. He has worked as the Creative Director at the award-winning West Virginia Mine Wars Museum since 2015. Shaun is a founding member of the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, and an original member of the now-disbanded Howling Mob Society. His book, So Much To Be Angry About: Appalachian Movement Press 1969-79, was released on West Virginia University Press in March, 2021. Shaun has exhibited internationally in a variety of museums, galleries, and nonprofit spaces, as well as non-authorized public settings. He has presented on his research and creative practice at numerous universities and conferences in the United States and Western Europe. His work has been exhibited across the US and the world, including at the Queens Museum, the Biennial of Graphic Arts (Ljubljana, Slovenia), and the U.S. Pavilion at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia (Italy). For his work with the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, he was presented with Honorary Membership in the United Mine Workers of America, Local 1440 in Matewan, WV (he is now an Associate Member). Currently living in Pittsburgh, PA, with roots in Nebraska and Tennessee, Shaun manages the Justseeds Global Distribution Headquarters. Much of his hand-printed work is created on a refurbished Craftsmen Imperial tabletop platen press.

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