Charon Henning grew up in the DC Metro Area and spent many formative hours at the Smithsonian Institute, in museums and in summer art courses. All the nature, science, and art books on the shelves in the house were consumed on a regular rotating basis with the mural art of Jay Matternes featured in the Smithsonian’s “Thread of Life” book being a favored material. The intersection of nature, science and travel were where she found her primary interests and the direction for her art.
She freelanced as a muralist and ‘zine artist through high school and while attending Price George’s Community College, where she received her Associates Degree in Fine Art. She continued her education through the BIS degree program at George Mason University’s New Century College, creating a custom curriculum she titled “Multimedia Storytelling” and receiving the award for Most Creative Capstone project among the class of 2007 Individualized Studies graduates.
In 2015 Charon created the position of Art Director and gathered a team of skilled artists together for Prof. Katie Hinde’s March Mammal Madness tournament, currently the largest online STEAM-related educational outreach event, which occurs annually. Each artist completes upwards of 64 individual pieces of art work throughout the run of the tournament, sometimes in the space of two or three months.
She completed her illustration internship at the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology to earn her Certificate in Scientific Illustration and soon followed up with her Educator’s Certificate through Nation Geographic.
Charon has a working illustration studio in her home in rural Vermont which she shares with her partner and two very active studio cats.
Partial Client List
Mount Rainier National Park
Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Anthropology News
Zanzibar Red Colobus Project