Critically acclaimed bass-baritone Vincent Dion Stringer's repertoire ranges from classic spirituals to new music.
Vincent Dion Stringer is a multidisciplinary artist whose work radiates across the realms of music, poetry, and visual art. A classically trained bass-baritone hailed by The Boston Globe as “a first-class bass-baritone,” Stringer’s musical career spans major concert stages including the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center, with featured performances at the Edinburgh and Marlboro Music Festivals. A champion of contemporary music, he has premiered works by noted composers such as T.J. Anderson, Philip Glass, Earl Kim, Elizabeth Swados, and James Lee III.
Stringer is also a published poet whose verse resonates with emotional depth and cultural insight. His poem Mother’s Lament was adapted into a large-scale orchestral work by James Lee III, premiered in 2016 by the Morgan State University Choir and the Mid-Atlantic Orchestra. His poetry—grounded in Black history, spirituality, and a longing for justice—often forms the lyrical core of his collaborations in music and the visual arts.
In recent years, Stringer has devoted himself more fully to visual art, returning to a childhood passion that he first explored long before his professional life in music and academia. Though self-taught, his visual work carries the discipline and imagination of a seasoned creator. His 2015 commission by The Open Church of Maryland, On Purpose—a striking blend of acrylic, paper, and gold leaf on canvas—marked a turning point in his visual practice. Since then, his works have been featured in exhibitions throughout Maryland, including:
My Soul is a Witness: A Journey Through Art and Spirituality (2025), First and St. Stephens UCC, Baltimore
Signs and Symbols (2022), Harriet Chapel, Catoctin Episcopal Parish, Thurmont
Crossing Over and My Soul is a Witness (2023), ERUCC, Frederick
The Evelyn C. McLeod Art Gallery, Open Church of Maryland (2017)
His art, which has found collectors in the United States and abroad, explores themes of transformation, ancestry, and sacred memory—often integrating mixed media, reclaimed materials, and hand-crafted elements.
Affectionately dubbed “Shanaynae Picasso” by friends in the LGBTQ+ community of Boston who first recognized his flair for interiors and found-object art, Stringer embraced the moniker and launched Shanaynae Picasso Design Studio. His studio work spans from expressive canvases and jeweled spirit bottles to one-of-a-kind handbags crafted from up-cycled textiles, and regal, reimagined furniture pieces—such as wooden “thrones” adorned with vintage jewelry and gold leaf.
In parallel with his artistic practice, Stringer has made a lasting impact as an educator. He retired from Morgan State University as Coordinator of Vocal Studies and Artistic Director of the Opera Workshop. He also served as founding Artistic Director of both the New England and National Spiritual Ensembles, receiving acclaim for preserving and elevating African American spirituals on the concert stage.
Today, Vincent Dion Stringer dedicates his life to creating art that heals, provokes, and uplifts. Whether through paint, poetry, or song, his work embodies a spiritual sensibility rooted in radical love, cultural memory, and boundless imagination. He serves on the worship planning team at The Open Church of Maryland, where his artistry and ministry continue to inspire new visions of sacred community.