Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Shannon Sullivan lives and works in Eureka, California. She earned a BFA in ceramics from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire in 2002. She earned an MFA in ceramics with a minor in sculpture from the University of North Texas, School of Visual Arts in 2005. Currently, Sullivan is a professor of Art at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka. Sullivan creates sculptures, wall pieces and installations using a core visual vocabulary rooted in the prevailing ways of nature. Her work maintains a seductive, mysterious quality as she explores the nuances present in the living world. Sullivan's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums nationally and internationally. She has worked as an artist in residence in Jingdezhen, China at the pottery workshop, and at the International Ceramics Research Center in Skaelskor, Denmark. Her work has been reviewed in Ceramics Monthly and was curated into the book "500 Ceramic Sculptures.”