Muriel Shelton was quite active on the Louisville art scene in the 1940s and ‘50s. She was one of three local artists chosen for a special exhibition showcasing the work of young artists from across the country at the Jacques Seligmann Gallery in New York City in 1948. The other two artists in the “Under 25” show were LaVerne Mahorney and John Dillehay. Shelton showed with all the leading creatives of the day and in venues ranging from the Woman’s Club of Louisville to the ticket office of the Louisville Philharmonic Society (along with Mahorney).
Shelton was a native of Quality, Kentucky, in Butler County; her family moved to Louisville while she was a child. She was a graduate of the Louisville Girls High School, the University of Louisville and the Art Center. She went into art education, with the Jefferson County Public Schools, teaching at Pleasure Ridge Park and Fairdale high schools. She was a longtime resident of Fairdale and a member of Fairdale Christian Church. Her Courier-Journal obituary notes that in her later years she focused on crafts projects. Her husband, Robert Owen Flemming, was also a graduate of the Art Center and worked as a professional illustrator at Ft. Knox.