Click on images for full view. Artist Bio follows the image gallery.
Shannon will be exhibiting in the EXPO 2027 first session: January 15 through February 14.
Shannon Leigh Artist Biography
Shannon Leigh is an American contemporary artist known for her “New West” paintings, where the legends, icons, and independent spirits of the American West are reimagined through a bold, contemporary visual language. Working in acrylic on canvas, Leigh combines graphic line, layered pattern, and vivid color to create paintings that are both striking and deeply narrative.
Her approach is characterized by a strong sense of “Narrative Economy”—the distillation of a larger story, complex emotion, or memorable character into a powerful visual moment. Twenty years living in Tennessee immersed her in the rich storytelling culture of Nashville, where she had the rare opportunity to witness some of the finest songwriters at work. Experiencing firsthand how complex human stories could be distilled into a few unforgettable words and a powerful hook profoundly influenced her own visual language. She brings that same instinct for distillation and storytelling to her paintings, leaving space for the viewer to discover the story within the image.
Born in Spokane, Washington, Leigh has lived throughout the West, drawing from firsthand experience of its landscapes, light, culture, and characters. Her diverse career has included design, sculpture, jewelry, large-scale commissions, and painting. Since returning to Arizona in 2022, she has completed five consecutive seasons as an Artist in Residence at the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale and exhibited at the 52nd Annual Phippen Museum Western Art Show, as well as Art on the Rockies, Cowboy True Invitational, and Hidden in the Hills. Her paintings have been featured in American Art Collector and Western Art Collector and are held in private collections nationally. Leigh is represented by The Marshall Gallery in Scottsdale.