lelashahrzad@gmail.com
Los Osos, CA 93402
b. 1984
2024 MFA— Spatial Studies, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
2018 BFA— Art & Design, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
AWARDS
2024 Ron Newby Award, University of California, Santa Barbara
2024-2025 UCSB Artist in Residence, University of California, Santa Barbara
2018 Personal Achievement Award, Art + Design Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 The Dinner Party, KEYSTONE Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2024 Incandescent, Art, Design and Architecture Museum, Santa Barbara, CA
2024 GLAMFA, CSU Long Beach School of Art Gallery, Long Beach, CA
2023 INVERSE Performance Art Festival, Crystal Bridges’ The Momentary, Bentonville, AR
2023 Analogous Roots, Napa Hall Art Gallery, CSU Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
2023 tributaries, Art, Design, and Architecture Museum, Santa Barbara, CA
2023 Tres Leches, Red Barn Artist Space, Santa Barbara, CA
2023 Small Images, Atkinson Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2022 Untitled, Glassbox Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2020 INVERSE Performance Art Festival, Crystal Bridges’ The Momentary, Bentonville, AR (virtual)
2020 Archipelago, Virtual Show
2019 Traces, INVERSE Exhibition, San Luis Obispo, CA
2018 Off Menu, 2G Studios, San Luis Obispo, CA
2018 The Sadness of Maps, Industry of the Ordinary Residency Exhibition, San Luis Obispo,CA
2018 Maiden LA, Grand Park, Los Angeles, CA (catalog)
2018 This Must Be The Place, BFA Thesis Exhibition, University Art Gallery, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
2017 Student Art Exhibition, by nomination only, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA (catalog)
PUBLIC ART
2021 Untitled IV, Mission Plaza, San Luis Obispo, CA
2021 Marianne Williamson Can’t Save Me Now, San Luis Obispo, CA
2019 Attention Economy, Arts Obispo Exhibition, Two-Person Show, San Luis Obispo, CA
RESIDENCIES
2021 Dark Study, Experimental Program by Nicole Wan Hee Maloof + Caitlin Cherry, virtual
2020 INVERSE Performance Art Residency through the Momentary, Bentonville, AR
2019 INVERSE Performance Art Residency, San Luis Obispo, CA
2018 Industry of the Ordinary Residency, San Luis Obispo, CA
GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS
2023 Israel Levitan Graduate Fellowship, University of California, Santa Barbara
2024 Inclusive Blacksmiths Peter’s Valley Craft School Scholarship + Grant2023 Levitan Art Fellowship, University of California, Santa Barbara
2023 IPS Grant, University of California, Santa Barbara
2023 Curatorial Assistant, Undergraduate Exhibition, Art, Design + Architecture Museum,University of California, Santa Barbara
2022 Chancellor’s Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara
2021 Downtown Plaza Pop-Up Grant in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Arts Council, San Luis Obispo, CA
COLLABORATIONS
2023 Participant, Primary Source/A Conversation by Suzanne Lacy (with Susan Mogul, Linda Vallejo and Jenni Sorkin), REDCAT, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Participant, The Suzanne Lacy Archive (with Suzanne Lacy and Leslie Lebowitz),REDCAT, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Artist + Performance Assistant, Performance for Shana Moulton at Taft Gardens, Ojai,CA
PRESS
2024 The Independent, May 2024, Santa Barbara, CA
2024 The Current, May 2024, Santa Barbara, CA
2021 SloLife Magazine, Dec ’21/Jan ’22 (pages 46-47)
2021 LA’s Most Inspiring Stories, VoyageLA, online, September 20, 2021
2021 The New Alternatives, Art in America, May 2021 (page 68)
2021 On Divergent Art Education: A Case Study in Dark Study, Art & Education, March 2021
2020 Shout Out LA, Art and Literary blog, Los Angeles, CA, August 2020
2017 Mesa Visions, Art and Literary magazine, judged artwork with photographs, San Diego,CA, May. 21, 2018 (page 8)
LECTURES, PANELS, AND WORKSHOPS
2024 Guest Critic—Senior Portfolio Reviews, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
-Culturally Responsive Teaching: Finding Your Way and Cultivating Community, University of California, Santa Barbara
-Make your Course More Accessible with UDL, University of California, Santa Barbara
-Entwined: Botanical Studies with a Focus on Connections, Blacksmithing Workshop,
-Peter’s Valley Craft School, Layton, New Jersey
2023 Guest Critic — Senior Portfolio Reviews, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
-Lead TA Institute Workshop, University of California, Santa Barbara
-Trigger to Talisman, Metals Workshop, Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Deer Isle, ME
-Pillars of Teaching Workshop, University of California, Santa Barbara
2020 Panelist — INVERSE Performance Art Festival, The Momentary, Virtual
TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS
2023-2024 Lead TA, University of California, Santa Barbara
2024 Art 12: Beginning Spatial Practice, University of California, Santa Barbara
Art 7D: Art, Science & Technology, University of California, Santa Barbara
2023 Art 7B: Image Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara
Art 7A: Art & Life (Performance Art), University of California, Santa Barbara
2022 Art 7D: Art, Science & Technology, University of California, Santa Barbara
CERTIFICATIONS
2024 Certificate in Inclusive Teaching, University of California, Santa Barbara2023 Lead Teaching Assistant Certificate, University of California, Santa Barbara
2022 Pillars of Teaching Assistantship Certificate, University of California, Santa Barbara