Portraits for Sephora Canada x NWAC

Last year, Sephora partnered with the Native Women’s Association of Canada to bring together women and gender-diverse people for a conversation on Indigenous beauty, representation, and colonial beauty standards. I was honoured to make portraits of the ten participants to go along with a docu-special for Indigenous People's Day (2023). I haven’t had the chance to share these images before now and I’m excited to finally show them to you all. It’s always a good day to celebrate Indigenous beauty and excellence.

“We have powerful women. People that have come here have spent a lifetime trying to take that power away from us and our people knew how powerful our women were” - Kahentinehtha Horn

My college honoured me with an award at their graduation ceremony this month!

Honorary diplomas are awarded at Convocation to individuals who embody the College’s core values through their outstanding achievements and community impact as examples of excellence for students and graduates.     

https://loyalistcollege.com/news/loyalist-college-to-award-seven-honorary-diplomas-at-convocation-ceremonies-june-6-9/

Throat Singer Qattuu creates lullaby song for her daughter Aleah - CBC story

Qattuu with her daughter Aleah

Read the full story on CBC by reporter Ash Abraham with photos and video by me.

My photography featured in Broadview Magazine

Nyá:wen to Broadview Magazine for the feature on my photo series “Rematriate” following the Rematriation of heirloom seeds back to our community and the creation of the “Passing the Seeds” wampum belt. The seeds are now grown at the Kenhtè:ke Seed Sanctuary.

In Conversation with Filmmaker Jennifer Podemski

The Prince Edward County Arts Council presents a new Indigenous Voices series. I will be there giving a talk on December 8, 2022. More info below:

Join us for the official launch event of the Prince Edward County Arts Council's (County Arts') Indigenous Voices Series - In Conversation with Jennifer Podemski and Shelby Lisk: The Arts as a Platform for Indigenous Storytelling and Activism. We are so honoured to welcome these two esteemed artists for this crucial conversation. Please view their Artist Bios below.

Entry is free or by donation, with all proceeds going to Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na (TTO), a non-profit dedicated to revitalizing Mohawk language and culture in Tyendinaga. Please reserve your spot below. (Please note that a credit card processing fee and ticketing fee will be added to your donation amount.) We can also accept cash donations at the event. Macaulay Church Museum is located at 23 Church Street, Picton, Ontario, K0K 2T0.

The Indigenous Voices Series is funded by County Arts' newly established Indigenous Voices Fund, made possible through a $30,000 multi-year donation from a resident committed to advancing our community's truth and reconciliation efforts, and the inclusion of Indigenous voices. Learn more on our website.

The Art of Sovereignty, Episode 8: Bonnie Devine

Please check out episode 6 of The Art of Sovereignty:

Growing up, Bonnie Devine's grandfather warned her to stay away from the bright yellow piles of powder in her community of Serpent River Anishinabek Nation. Little did she know that those yellow triangles would turn up years later in her art practice as she explored natural resource extraction and Indigenous ways of knowing.
That curiosity, and a love for being Anishinaabe, led Devine to become the first tenured Indigenous professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design and the founding chair of the school's Indigenous Visual Cultural Program. Host Shelby Lisk speaks with Devine about her life, her work, and paving a path forward for future Indigenous artists.

https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/the-art-of-sovereignty

Portrait of artist Bonnie Devine at the McMichael Gallery. Photo by Shelby Lisk.

The Art of Sovereignty, Episode 6: Faye HeavyShield

Please check out episode 6 of The Art of Sovereignty:

What makes something Indigenous art? For Kainai artist Faye HeavyShield, Indigenous art is not just one thing. It is personal, and for HeavyShield, tied deeply to her story as a woman from the Blood reserve in Southern Alberta. Throughout her career, she has pushed her art into new realms, expressing the nuanced truths of her life. Host Shelby Lisk speaks with Faye HeavyShield about her life, her work, and individuality in art.

https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/the-art-of-sovereignty

Portrait of artist Faye HeavyShield in Toronto. Photo by Shelby Lisk.

"With beaded earrings, photographer Shelby Lisk renews ties with the women in her life" - Globe and Mail article

Nyá:wen to Rukhsar Ali for writing this thoughtful piece on my portrait series "Shé:kon se’onhwentsyà:ke ratinékere tsi nihá:ti nè:ne yesanorónhkhwa (There are still people in the world that love you)"

This work is on display at the Woodland Cultural Centre until August 14, as a part of the show "Sense of Belonging: A Place Called Home" with Rosalie Favell and Alex Jacobs-Blum

Read the Globe and Mail article here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/article-shelby-lisk-photography-exhibition/

The Art of Sovereignty, Episode 4: Robert Houle

Please check out episode 4 of The Art of Sovereignty:

For Saulteaux artist Robert Houle, art has always been political. From the Indian Act to the Oka Crisis and more, Houle has spent his career using his art to address the injustices facing Indigenous communities. Host Shelby Lisk explores how Houle’s artwork emphasizes the importance of Land as a spiritual and political legacy for Indigenous peoples. She speaks with Shirley Madill, executive director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, and author of ‘Robert Houle: Life & Work.’

https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/the-art-of-sovereignty

Artist Robert Houle in front of his piece titled “Treaty No. 1” from “Premises for Self-Rule” which is discussed on the podcast episode AOS #4. Photo by Shelby Lisk. (For more information on this piece, please check out the book by Shirley Madill: https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/robert-houle/key-works/premises-for-self-rule-treaty-no-1/)

"Sense of Belonging: A Place Called Home" Exhibition Announcement

June 3, 2022, (Brantford/Six Nations, ON): The Woodland Cultural Centre (WCC) is pleased to announce a new exhibition, Sense of Belonging: A Place Called Home. The exhibition features three contemporary Indigenous lens-based women artists whose artistic practice weaves painting, beadwork, photography to connect the notions of identity, family, community and land. Personal experiences as a modern woman narrate individual journeys through visual storytelling celebrating language, culture and history. Curated by WCC Curator, Patricia Deadman, the interconnectedness and inter-generational artworks are both inspiring and beautiful. The exhibition opens June 4 continues to August 13, 2022.