CV

Education

• 2015 · Diploma, Introduction to Art Therapy, SASANA, Bogotá, Colombia
• 2006 · BFA Visual Arts, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC
• 2004 · Diploma, Visual Arts, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC

Selected certifications

• 2023 · Healing Trauma Program, Sounds True
• 2019 · Heart of Facilitation, PYE Global
• 2019 · Voice Intensive, Canada’s National Voice Intensive
• 2019 · Baby Clown, Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance
• 2013 · Grassroots Economic Alternatives, Groundswell
• 2013 · Leadership, Organizing and Action, Leading Change Network

Socially engaged public art projects

• 2026 to present · Public Safety Canada: arts-based action research, Egale, Canada
• 2025 to 2026 · Wonder, Castle Rock Public Art Commission, Castle Rock, CO
• 2024 · Queer Joy, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB
• 2023 · Art in a Just Recovery, Art Not Shame, Guelph, ON
• 2023 · Ursuline Heritage Alive, Ursuline College of Chatham, ON
• 2022 · Re-Imagining Sanctuary Services, Sanctuary, London, ON
• 2021 · E Ala E, House of Tears Carvers, across the United States
• 2020 · Connected in Chaos, Richmond Street underpass, London, ON
• 2020 · Art in Hard Times, Art Not Shame, Guelph, ON
• 2014 to 2017 · Our Painted Responsibilities (Sacred Obligations in process), Lummi Nation House of Tears Carvers, Salish Sea to Alberta
• 2012 · The Belonging Action, City of Vancouver, Vancouver, BC
• 2011 · Out of Our Minds: Building Creativity in Schools, School District 68, Nanaimo, BC

Commissions, competitions and residencies

• 2024 · Residency and commission, Inclusive and Equitable Post-secondary Education, Eviance
• 2022 · Commission, Our Journey, Rainbow Refugee
• 2020 · Commission, The Brescia Centennial Story: Building Community through Art, Brescia University College, London, ON
• 2020 · Winner, Connected in Chaos, Neighbourhood Decision Making Grant by public ballot, City of London, ON
• 2019 · Residency, We Still Have Hope, Muslim Resource Centre, London, ON
• 2019 · Commission, We Are All One, Participation House, London, ON
• 2017 · Residency, Predictions of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Georgian Partners, Toronto
• 2013 to 2015 · Two year residency winner, Park Board Fieldhouse, Moberly Arts, Vancouver, BC
• 2012 · Winner, The Belonging Action, Vancouver 125 Community Mural Grant, City of Vancouver
• 2011 to 2012 · Commission, St George Rainway, Rainway Project, Vancouver, BC
• 2011 · Commission, Out of Our Minds: Building Creativity in Schools, School District 68, Nanaimo, BC

Arts-based action research

• 2026 · Art Dialogues: Subterranean Creativities, University of Victoria, BC
• 2025 · Participatory mural, First In Family: SOTL and Experiential Learning, Mount Royal University
• 2023 · Participatory mural, Fostering Dialogues: Action Research, Egale, Canada
• 2022 · Participatory mural, Knowledge Building: Re-Imagining Community Care, Art Not Shame and University of Guelph
• 2022 · Participatory mural, Strategic Action Plan: Visioning, Sanctuary, London, ON
• 2017 · Participatory mural, Strategic Action Plan: One Body, Horizon Leadership and Mission Services, London, ON

Selected solo exhibitions

• 2024 · E Ala E, East Shore Unitarian Church, Bellevue, WA
• 2020 · Syrian Youth Voices: We Still Have Hope, Innovation Works, London, ON
• 2019 · Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA
• 2017 · Youth Voices: Life as a Refugee, Goodwill Industries, London, ON
• 2014 to 2015 · Rhizome Cafe and Social Hub, Vancouver, BC

Selected group exhibitions

• 2026 · Do I Belong?, Los Fantasmas Artist Collective invitational, Yolia Art Space, Englewood, CO. Print and video from The Belonging Action.
• 2024 to 2025 · Art as We Are: Creative Community Care, Guelph Civic Museum, Guelph, ON
• 2018 · River Talks: River Heartbeat, Museum London, London, ON
• 2018 · Protecting the Land, UBC Social Justice Centre, Vancouver, BC
• 2017 to 2018 · Kwel’ Hoy: We Draw the Line!, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA. Collective mural from the Totem Pole Journey among the exhibited objects.
• 2016 · Totem Pole Journey blessing, St Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, WA. Mural hung above the altar.
• 2015 · Creative Cartographies, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
• 2014 · State of the Practice, Roundhouse Community Centre, Vancouver, BC

Selected publications

• Celeste Pang, Brittany A. E. Jakubiec and Melanie Schambach, “Relational Practices in Arts-Based Research: A Roundtable Reflection on the Fostering Dialogues Project”, Atlantis: Critical Studies in Gender, Culture and Social Justice 45.2, 2024, 173 to 179
• Melanie Schambach, “About the Artist and Artwork”, Canadian Journal of Action Research 22.3, 2022
• Peggy O’Neil, Roula Kteily-Hawa and Marlene Janzen Le Ber, “Social Portraiture: Decolonizing Ways of Knowing in Education through Arts-Based Participatory Action Research”, Canadian Journal of Action Research 22.3, 2022
• Gregory Lowan-Trudeau, From Reticence to Resistance, Werklund School of Education, 2018
• Liz Miller, The Shore Line: A Totem Pole Journey, SSHRC Canada, 2014

Selected speaking

• 2024 · TEDxGrandJunction, Social Art: Pushing Painting Into Regenerative Community Building
• 2024 · Keynote, Curating with Care, Ontario Galleries
• 2024 · Guest speaker, Social Art and Queer Mental Health, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary
• 2023 · Guest speaker, Decolonial Practices in Social Art, 2SLGBTQ Health, Mount Royal University
• 2022 · Keynote, Racial Equity and Philanthropy Funders’ Summit, PhiLab National Conference
• 2021 · Guest speaker, Portraiture, Canadian Society for the Study of Education
• 2019 · City Symposium, London, ON
• 2019 · Trainer, Pro-D: Arts and Mental Health, London Arts Council
• 2018 · Camp leader, Campamento de la Esperanza, Fundación Tomillo, Spain

Community arts facilitation and training leadership

• 2012 to 2025 · Creative Facilitation Trainer, PYE Global, internationally. Trained in the Creative Community Model developed by Power of Hope and Partners for Youth Empowerment, an approach now carried forward by the Center for Creative Community at Commonweal. Roughly 500 practitioners trained across Canada, the United States, Colombia, Guatemala and Spain.
• 2016 to 2018 · Arts programming, London Arts Council, London, ON
• 2016 to 2017 · Program Coordinator, Cross-Cultural Learner Centre, London, ON
• 2013 to 2014 · Program Coordinator, Richmond Multicultural Community Centre, Richmond, BC
• 2010 to 2013 · Trainer and Arts Facilitator, Reel Youth, Canada