▁the ▁art ▁department ▁and ▁he ▁successfully ▁implemented ▁a ▁bronze ▁casting ▁found ry ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁that ▁project . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁difficulty ▁of ▁obtain ing ▁stone ▁in ▁Mississippi , ▁Sh aman ▁began ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁more ▁readily ▁available ▁medium ▁of ▁wood . ▁A ▁res iden cy ▁at ▁Y add o ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁resulted ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁major ▁pieces , ▁the ▁Jan us ▁Road ▁Show , ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁three ▁figures ▁representing ▁jazz ▁mus icians ▁Sh aman ▁saw ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁He ▁left ▁academ ia ▁after ▁ten ▁years ▁at ▁D elta ▁State ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁dev ote ▁himself ▁full - time ▁to ▁sculpt ure . ▁Sh aman ▁found ▁success ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁artist , ▁regularly ▁exhib iting ▁work ▁in ▁gall eries ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁most ▁benef icial ▁gallery ▁relationships ▁was ▁with ▁the ▁Ela ine ▁B enson ▁Gallery ▁in ▁Bridge ham pton , ▁New ▁York , ▁which ▁hosted ▁an ▁inv it ational ▁char ity ▁art ▁show ▁to ▁benefit ▁a ▁local ▁animal ▁rescue ▁group . ▁Sh aman ' s ▁own ▁home ▁and ▁studio ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁local ▁att raction , ▁and ▁starting ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s ▁his ▁wife , ▁Mol ly , ▁ran ▁a ▁popular ▁bed ▁and ▁breakfast ▁that ▁used ▁his ▁work ▁as ▁an ▁appe aling ▁highlight ▁of ▁the ▁inn . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁South ' s ▁most ▁important ▁figur ative ▁artists ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁his ▁works ▁are ▁included ▁in