Born and raised in Pawley’s Island in the Gullah/Geechee Lowcountry of South Carolina, Sheldon is an award-winning artist focusing on the intersection of race, sexuality and economics. Shelton brings many areas of expertise to the Untraditional Philanthropy family, including focuses on TBL (Triple Bottom Line) enterprises + social impact efforts, DEI and the arts.
Sheldon also serves as the Head of Purpose for Eaton Workshop, a global hospitality company built to uplift the human spirit as we collectively pursue a better world for people and planet.
Sheldon’s artistic works includes performance, sculpture, installation, photography, spoken word, creative nonfiction, objects, video and ephemera. He has exhibited at Art Miami, Delaware State University, David C. Driskell Center, Katzen Art Museum, Untitled Art Fair, and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. His work has also been acquired by a range of esteemed collections, including the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Harvey B Gantt Center, and The Kemper Art Museum at Washington University.
As Head of Purpose for Eaton Workshop, Sheldon spearheads improving Eaton’s social and environmental impact across its properties. His previous work as Eaton DC’s Director of Culture highlighted Eaton’s progressive values with an intersectional approach to curating art and hosting cultural dialogues, exploring stories of underrepresented groups from LGBTQ+ artists to first generation immigrant artists to commentaries on race in America.
Sheldon has been recognized by Americans for the Arts’ Best Public Art Program and as a Finalist for the National Portrait Gallery’s Outwin-Boochever Portrait Competition. He has been a featured presenter at TEDx Mid-Atlantic, ArtTable, CreativeTime Festival, Washington Ideas Festival, and the Smithsonian Long Conversation.
Sheldon is currently a fellow in The Threshold Fellowship at The Headlands and on the boards of Teaching for Change, Transformer, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre. Sheldon lives and works in Washington, DC where he has served as an ANC commissioner and chair of the ABRA Committee for ANC 1A.