Born and raised in Virginia, Courtney Shelton received her undergraduate degree in art history at Savannah College of Art and Design in 1997 and her graduate degree in art history from the University of Manchester, Great Britain in 1999. Since then, Shelton has been a student of the world-her travels taking her to live abroad in England, Germany and as far away as the Middle East, where she held a teaching position for three years at the American School in Kuwait.  rnDividing her time between Washington D.C. and North Carolina, Shelton has participated in various group shows including the Gender of Art Festival, Fiber Radicals and Blue Velvet.  Her work has shown internationally, and is currently featured in galleries in Michigan and North Carolina. Her solo exhibition, titled “Coquetry: Hand-sewn Nostalgia and Poetic-ness,” debuted at Wabi Sabi Warehouse at Independent Art Company in Wilmington, N.C. rnInfluenced by traditional sewing and folk art techniques learned from her mother and grandmother, Shelton incorporates textile, embroidery and painting to create a contemporary look reminiscent of 1920s printed material. Both playful and thought provoking, the quiet timelessness and allusions to sexuality and femininity in her work provide an inward glance into this young artist’s creative mind.