Bio
Michelle Sylvestre (she/her) BFA (Art, 2017), MFA (New Media, 2021), is an interdisciplinary artist and PhD Candidate in the Cultural, Social, and Political Thought program at the University of Lethbridge, situated on Treaty 7 Blackfoot Confederacy Territory. Her MFA awards include SSHRC, Queen Elizabeth II Graduate, and Dean’s Tuition Scholarships for research excellence.
In 2025 she was the first student at the University of Lethbridge to be awarded the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholarship. Her doctoral research investigates systemic colonial and heteropatriarchal biases in artificial intelligence (AI) Large Language Models (LLMs). Sylvestre uses research-creation to combine critical inquiry with artistic practice to address complex sociocultural issues, to promote equity and inclusion in technological development.
Sylvestre co-led the multidisciplinary conference and workshop AI: Worlding and Wilding with Mia van Leeuwen (drama) guiding graduate and undergraduate students in research-creation. This initiative fostered interdisciplinary collaboration and critical engagement, influencing participants’ academic and creative work. She will begin a new iteration of these workshops for her PhD research-creation work and as a member of the University of Lethbridges’ Niitsitapi Pod in the Centre for Indigenous Art Research and Technology (CIART). The Niitsitapi Pod is a part of the Indigenous-led Abundance Intelligences research initiative.
As an exhibition and public art artist, Sylvestre explores themes of identity and community through technology, sculpture, installation, and performance.
CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION
PhD – CULTURAL SOCIAL POLITICAL THOUGHT
Department of New Media, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB
Supervisor: Dr. Dana Cooley
2024 – PRESENT
MASTER OF FINE ARTS – NEW MEDIA
Department of New Media, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
Supervisor: Leanne Elias & Denton Fredrickson Thesis: Now Frontier
2018 – 2021
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS – ART
University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
2012 – 2017
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
RESEARCHER IN RESIDENCE
Niitsitapi Pod in the Centre for Indigenous Art Research and Technology, University of Lethbridge, AB
2024 – PRESENT
SESSIONAL LECTURER III
Department of New Media University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
2021 – 2025
GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT
Department of New Media and Art, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
2018 – 2020
SELECT EXHIBITIONS
Tangible Fragments
Casa, Lethbridge, AB
2026
Abundant Memory Relational Intelligence
Dr. Margaret (Marmie) Perkins Hess Gallery, Lethbridge, AB
2025 – 2026
Heavy Metal
Casa, Lethbridge, AB
2022
Inside Out
Casa, Lethbridge, AB
2021
Now Frontier
Dr. Foster James Penny Building, Lethbridge, AB
2020
ROAR
Mortar and Brick, Lethbridge, AB
2020
Visualizing Agriculture
Southern Alberta Art Gallery(SAAG), Lethbridge, AB
2018
LandMarks2017
Galt Museum Fort Whoop Up/Indian Battle Park, Lethbridge, AB.
2017
Meet Me in the Middle
Southern Alberta Art Gallery(SAAG), Lethbridge, AB.
2017
Prairie Sun Camera Obscura Project
Coutts Centre, Nanton, AB.
2016
PUBLIC ART
Temporal Nexus
Commissioned by Strathcona County, AB
2024
A Similar Nature
Commissioned by Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge and City of Lethbridge
2023
RECLAIM
Commissioned by Southern Alberta Art Gallery and Steps Public Art
Lethbridge, AB
2023
ART RESIDENCIES
Medalta Art in Residence, Medicine Hat, AB.
2026
RECLAIM, PubicArt, Lethbridge, AB.
2023
SoftWEAR: Wearable Technology & Art Residency
Artscape Gibraltar Point and InterAccess, Toronto, ON.
2018
Lichen Lab Residency
University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Lethbridge, AB.
2017
AWARDS | GRANTS | FUNDING
Alberta Foundation for the Arts Visual Arts and New Media Individual Project Grant
2026 $16,800
Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholarship
2025 $210,000
University of Lethbridge Graduate Research Award (ULGRA)
2024 $36,000
Legacy Park Public Art Mosaic Mentorship, City of Lethbridge, Allied Arts Council
2022 $25,000
Alberta Foundation for the Arts Visual Arts and New Media Individual Project Grant
2020 $3,500
Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS M) SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada)
2019 $17,500
Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS M) SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada)
2019 $17,500
Abbondanza Fine Art Graduate Scholarship, University of Lethbridge
2019 $4,500
School of Graduate Studies Dean’s Scholarship, University of Lethbridge
2018 & 2019 $10,000/yr
School of Graduate Studies Tuition Scholarship, University of Lethbridge
2018 – 2019 $8,000
Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship, University of Lethbridge
2018 & 2019 $10,800/yr
Faculty of Fine Arts Gold Medal Nominee, University of Lethbridge
2017
Art Endowment Fund, University of Lethbridge
2017 $2,700
Excellence in Art Studio Award, University of Lethbridge
2017
PUBLICATIONS
Investigating the Algorithmic Nation: Decolonial Feminist Performance as Anti-Canadian Praxis
Journal of Canadian Studies – Special Issue CfP Towards a Critical Canadian Studies
2027
Soundscape & The Flux: Notes from the Niitsitapi Pod
TBA: Journal of Art, Media, and Visual Culture
2025
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS & ART TALKS
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Abundant Memory, Relational Intelligence, Art NOW Speaker Series with Amethyst First Rider and Michelle Sylvestre,
University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
2026
Home/Work, Art NOW Speaker Series,
University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
2020
Negotiations, Trap/Door Artist Run Centre,
University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
2019
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Summer School, Osoyoos, BC
2026
Canadian Studies Conference, Western University, London, ON
2025
Canadian Studies at Zero Point? The Symons Report at 50, Huron University, Hamilton, ON
2025
Interuniversity Graduate Student Studio Arts Conference, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
2024
Crossing Boundaries Symposium, University of Lethbridge, AB
2019
WORKSHOPS
AI: Worlding and Wilding, Co-led with Mia van Leeuwen Lethbridge AB
2023
RECLAIM Workshop, Co-led with Kylie Fineday and Arianna Richardson, Public Art and Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, AB.
2023
ARTIST TALKS
Articulations with Michelle Sylvestre, Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG), Lethbridge, AB
2025
A Similar Nature, Public Art Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
2023
SoftWEAR:, InterAccess: A Wearable Tech Discussion, Toronto, ON
2018
TEACHING
SESSIONAL LECTURER III
Department of New Media University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB
2021 – 2025
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
ADVANCED STUDIO
New Media
UNDERGRADUATE HONOURS THESIS
New Media
INTERACTION DESIGN
New Media
GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR NEW MEDIA
New Media
NEW MEDIA 1000
New Media
DIGITAL FABRICATION
Art
ADJUDICATION | MENTORING & ART-RELATED COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER WORK
GENERATIVE PROMPT: ARTIST MENTORSHIP WITH MICHELLE SYLVESTRE
Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, AB
2025
Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge Juror for Public Art Projects
2024
Public Art Presenter: Alberta Public Art Network:APAN Summit, Lethbridge, AB.
2016