[1][2][3] Shannon is recognized for his discovery, promotion and conservation of the works of the artist Bill Traylor, who he met in 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama.
[6] Shannon was an originator of the Socialist Realist New South School and Gallery, which was founded in 1939 in his log cabin studio in Butler County, Alabama.
[7][8] The mission of the school was to "broaden cultural life of Southerners of all classes and develop a wider market in the South for arts and crafts".
[15] Both parties released a joint statement that recognized Shannon's contribution to Traylor's fame.
[14] Shannon founded the art department at Auburn University Montgomery, where he taught from 1969 until his retirement in 1979.