Bailey Shandro is an emerging watercolour and single line artist based in Vancouver.

Raised on a farm in northeastern Alberta, she has always admired the beauty and complexity of life. Bailey sees art as a process of reciprocity, where creating art attempts to capture her relationship to the subject matter. Making art allows her to be more present and grateful for the world around us. She believes that art, like life, is meant to be imperfect, and learning to love those imperfections is what allows us to be grateful for the present moment.


POSITIONALITY

Having the positionality of a cis-gender, heterosexual, white, settler Canadian I acknowledge I come from a place of privilege that influences the opportunities I’ve encountered and the perspectives I share.


LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I was raised on Treaty 6 land, which is the traditional territories of many First Nations such as the Nehiyaw (Cree), Denesuliné (Dene), Nakota Sioux (Stoney), Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), and Métis peoples. I currently reside as an uninvited guest on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) , Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations. My art has been created on these territories and on other land such as the Nuu-chah-nulth, Syilx, and Kwakiutl peoples. You can find what territory you are on by visiting: https://native-land.ca/.

One of the First Peoples Principles of Learnings is that, “Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).” Art, especially landscape based art, embodies the connectedness we share with place. It’s important to recognize how colonialism, not only influences my understanding and relationship to place through my work, but also how that impacts Indigenous groups who were here before us.

Some actions I am taking to towards reconciliation with these groups include acknowledging the territories the art is inspired by, engaging in professional and personal learning through reading and workshops, and promoting Indigenous artists on Instagram.