Shirley L. Bolton was a renowned educator, illustrator, and painter. She was best known for her paintings focusing on civil rights.

Bolton was born in 1945 in Lexington. She was an educator, illustrator, and painter known for her work focusing on civil rights. Bolton attended the University of Georgia in Athens, where she earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

Her work has been exhibited all over the United States, including at Black Exposé in San Francisco, California; the National Exhibition of Black Artists in Washington, D.C; and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. She is also discussed in the St. James Guide to Black Artists and Who Was Who in American Art, 1564-1975. Bolton died in 1984.