Boost Shawn's Effort to Nurture Young Artists

Hi, my name is Shawn Pryor. I'm an author of graphic novels and books who has taught a Comics and Sequential Art Workshop during the Winter/Spring at Winburn Middle School since 2022. In the 10-12 two-hour workshop sessions, students learn artistic concepts such as character design, storytelling, panel layout, penciling, inking, and creating worlds to tell the stories they want to see.

I am raising funds to help the workshops continue for the foreseeable future and to start a second workshop for other students in the community. The funds raised will allow me to purchase graphic novels, art books, snacks, supplies, and reference tools for the student's artistic assignments and lessons, helping them continue to get a solid perspective on the creative arts and boost their creative abilities.

In the Spring of 2022, the Carnegie Center asked me to visit Winburn Middle School on Saturdays for students interested in creating comic books and the basics of storytelling. The workshops were to last for four weeks. In those four weeks, the students formed a bond and creative community. After a major tragedy happened to one of our students, I decided to continue to contribute my time to those students for free after the four workshops were over, and I have done so ever since. These students mean a lot to me.

You can read more about the workshop here:

Writer hopes to continue graphic novel class

And here is a link to an interview from WKYT News about the workshop:

Lexington author seeks funding

The workshops are completely funded out of my pocket, but as the workshops continue to grow, I can't continue to fund this type of workshop on my own anymore. With the major possibility of a second workshop starting up due to demand, I cannot afford to cover all the costs needed to run these workshops. The arts are important in the overall development of students, and I want to be able to provide them with what they need.

My goal is to raise $4,000 for these workshops, and anything raised over that amount will be used for the workshops, giving the students even more opportunities to be creative in the arts.

Thank you for your help and assistance. You are sincerely appreciated.

-Shawn Pryor