Merrell is proud to welcome Latasha Dunston to the Merrell family!

Latasha Dunston was born to a single mother on the west side of Baltimore City in 1992. Separated from her at birth Latasha was raised by her devoted grandmother until 2001 when she was reunited with her mother. She spent her childhood days studying, playing multiple sports and making art for all her family and friends. She jumped at the opportunity to create a banner for the school assembly or design a flyer for the church community night, really any opportunity to be creative brought Latasha immense joy. But growing up in the inner city has its limits and struggles so once she graduated high school she packed her bags to move to Richmond, VA where she would pursue and obtain a degree in Communication Arts with a concentration in Scientific and Medical Illustration. Being so disconnected from nature made Latasha that more curious about the wild spaces this land had to offer. In 2013 Latasha visited her first national park in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It was a liberating experience and moved the focus of her artwork towards capturing the fleeting feelings that you experience when out in the wild. A lot of her artwork if focused around plants, nature, animals, and how it relates to her being a black women. She is also passionate about using her art to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and the conservation of public lands. It resonates with people because they can feel the emotion and recognize the landscapes in her paintings and it sparks memories and curiosity in the viewer.