Staff Show 2024: Painta

Meet some of the talented artists on The Phillips Collection’s staff, whose works are in the 2023 James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show (on view through February 16, 2024). 

What is your role at The Phillips Collection? What is interesting about your job? 

My role at The Philips Collection is being a Museum Assistant. I work in the control room one day of the week. 

Who is your favorite artist in the collection? 

My favorite artist in the collection is Matisse, but my favorite painting is Van Gogh’s House At Auvers. 

What is your favorite space within The Phillips Collection? 

My favorite space in the Phillips is wherever the Van Gogh and Matisse paintings are on view. 

What would you like people to know about your artwork on view in the 2024 Staff Show (or your work in general)? 

Other than the physical traits, size, and medium, the canvas is unstretched; I also made the frame. It was a fun process. “You’ll never know unless you ask,” I had an idea hit me and with a little courage, I leaned on that quote. The next time I saw my boss (Dorothy Kosinski, former Vradenburg Director & CEO)—what I call my superiors at work—I asked if I could do a painting of her. At the moment, I’m painting in red. I like the challenge, it saves me money, and I want the viewer to have a visual and emotional experience. 

 About the artist: Shawn Lindsay, also known as Painta, hails from Forestville, Maryland. An energetic and enigmatic spirit, Shawn has been interested in art and drawing since he was a child. He draws inspiration from his daily life including cartoons, hip-hop culture and social media. Shawn attended the Visual & Performing Arts program at Suitland High School as a young prospect and went on to receive a degree in fine arts at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.