Shirley Woodson received a BFA and MA in painting fro Wayne State University including graduate studies at the School of the Art Institute of chicago in painting and Art History.
Shirley Woodson, know for her brilliant and intense color paintings has developed over her long career many themes that reflect her perspectives on African American culture and the diaspora.
As a curator, art consultant, Woodson has organized exhibitions and collections for many years. As an art educator she has taught in the Detroit Public Schools, Highland Park community college, appointed as a King Chavez Parks Visiting Professor at Eastern Michigan University. Woodson has received many awards and currently serves as president of the National Conference of Artists Michigan Chapter. Woodson also had a solo exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts titled " Shield of the Nile Reflections." In 2021 Woodson was named the 2021 Kresge Imminent artist by Kresge Arts in Detroit.