Shannon Ward is a professional artist, and passionate advocate for creativity, community engagement, and inclusion. As TAARC’s Governance & Volunteer Coordinator Lead, Shannon plays an important role in supporting the charity’s governance processes and volunteer coordination, helping to strengthen the organisation as it continues to grow and develop.

Within TAARC, Shannon is responsible for supporting governance administration through minute-taking at Trustee and Leadership Team meetings, maintaining records and actions, and helping coordinate volunteers for TAARC’s flagship events, including Windrush Day, Black History Month celebrations, and Family FunFest. Her role supports effective communication, organisation, and collaboration across the charity’s various strands and programmes.

Alongside her work with TAARC, Shannon is an accomplished artist based in Telford. She graduated from the University of Wolverhampton in 2024 with a First-Class BA (Hons) in Fine Art. Her work explores themes of Black representation, identity, heritage, and belonging through large-scale oil portrait paintings. Through her art, Shannon seeks to create meaningful conversations that encourage audiences to engage with and reflect upon the Black experience from a Black perspective.

Shannon’s artistic talent has received significant recognition. She was awarded the prestigious Freelands Painting Prize in 2024, with her work Black Beauty selected for exhibition at the Freelands Foundation in London. Since graduating, she has continued to build her professional artistic practice through exhibitions, portrait commissions, workshops, and collaborative community arts projects.

One of her most notable commissions was the creation of a special portrait celebrating the 100th anniversary of James Baldwin, sponsored by Penguin Classics and unveiled during the “One Reason Alone” event in Wellington. Her work has also been exhibited across the West Midlands, helping to amplify diverse voices and stories through visual art.

Beyond her professional and creative work, Shannon is an active member of her church community. She serves on the prayer ministry team and previously volunteered as a youth leader for three years. Her Christian faith continues to inspire her approach to service, leadership, creativity, and community building.

As one of TAARC’s emerging community leaders, Shannon is passionate about creating opportunities for people to connect, contribute, and thrive. She believes that creativity, volunteering, and strong governance all play a vital role in building resilient, inclusive, and empowered communities.

“Art, service, and community all have the power to bring people together, create understanding, and inspire positive change.”