Shawn Campbell Shares Her Journey from Nervous Newcomer to Honored Artist
Every year, as part of its Juried Art Show, the Art Committee at Phillips’ Mill recognizes an artist whose work, dedication, and ongoing involvement with the Mill exemplify artistic excellence and camaraderie. This year’s honoree, sculptor Shawn Campbell, embodies all of these qualities—as well as a deep sense of gratitude. She credits much of her success and happiness as an artist to the support and mentoring she has received from fellow Mill members over the past several years, beginning when she first entered work in the Juried Art Show.
“I’ve made such great friends, and I so appreciate the camaraderie and the community at Phillips’ Mill. It has really changed my life,” she recalls. “The first time I entered the Juried Show, I didn’t really know what Phillips’ Mill was,” she says. “A gallery that represented me suggested I submit my work. I soon figured out the show was really prestigious. I was such a newbie, literally shaking when I walked into the room with my artwork on receiving day—I thought they were going to kick me out.”
Campbell remembers how anxious she felt that day—advancing from table to table, worried that she wasn’t following all the rules, imagining that the “Soup Nazi” from “Seinfeld” would pop out at any moment and say, “No admittance for you!”
It’s easy to see how she can joke about the experience now. Not only was she accepted into that first show several years ago, but she has since become an award-winning sculptor whose work has been included in more than 35 exhibitions, including the Lehigh Art Alliance Juried Exhibition, the Art of the River Towns Juried Art Show, New Hope Arts, and, of course, the Juried Art Show at Phillips’ Mill. Her work, “Perch,” won the award for sculpture in the 2023 Phillips’ Mill art show.
She is also a dedicated member of Phillips’ Mill, serving on the Art Committee for the past four years and helping out in any way she can. “The Mill is so inclusive. Everyone has a voice and can express their opinion freely,” she says. “That’s really important to me, and it comes through in my work too.”
Originally a painter, Campbell discovered sculpture in the wake of a personal tragedy. Her daughter’s fiancé, who was like a son to her, passed away in December 2014. She was enrolled in a painting class at the time, but something drew her toward a ceramics class down the hall.
“I don’t know why I was so drawn in,” she says. “Once I got my fingers in the clay, it was like a ball of grief in the middle of my chest went into the clay. Working in clay kind of saved my life.”
It also gave her the freedom to break away from perfection. “I was always so precious with my artwork. With sculpture, I could be imperfect—and that was liberating.”
Campbell is now a disciplined, full-time sculptor, hand-building everything in her home studio from sculptures to large platters and what she calls “big-ass salad bowls.” She typically works from 9 am to 3 pm, with her dogs by her side, music blaring or a TV show on in the background. Both her functional and sculptural pieces are currently included at the nearby Stover Mill Gallery in Tinicum, for her show with Cindy Roesinger, “Art in Harmony: Where Oil Meets Clay”, through the end of July.
Before art, Campbell had a high-powered career running global operations for a talent management corporation, traveling the world, and training teams. These days, she channels that energy into creative exploration. She still travels often—though now for pleasure—and finds inspiration everywhere, from tile patterns in local shops and markets to fine art museum collections. A devoted student, she takes at least one workshop every year to refine her skills, noting that sculptor Adrian Arleo is a major influence.
“I’ve also always collected art,” she says. “I love seeing how other people think, how they come up with their ideas. It inspires me. It makes me wonder—how can I make something like that?”
As Honored Artist, Campbell’s work will be prominently featured at this year’s Juried Art Show, which opens in September. It’s a full-circle moment for an artist whose journey from uncertainty to confidence has been shaped by clay—and by the welcoming community she found at Phillips’ Mill.