Panel Discussion: SHIFT/WORK — Portraits of Precarity

Lisa Wood is a visual artist, mother, and partner of Scottish–Icelandic Canadian settler ancestry living in Treaty 2 Territory (Brandon, Manitoba). Her figurative art practice—shaped by her upbringing with her single mother and her life-long chronic health conditions—investigates inclusion, marginalization, and interpersonal connections. Wood received her BFA from the University of Manitoba and her MFA from Yale University, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships. She exhibits her paintings and prints nationally and internationally, and is currently an Associate Professor in the IshKaabatens Waasa Gaa Inaabateg Department of Visual Art at Brandon University.

Renata Truelove is an emerging artist and recent Brandon University graduate, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Drawing. Aspiring to work in art therapy, Renata is passionate about how creative expression can promote well-being and serve as a meaningful research modality. The SHIFT/WORK project offered an opportunity to work at the intersection of her interests in creative approaches to learning, mental health research, care, and practice.

Dr. Breanna Lawrence is an Associate Professor in Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies at the University of Victoria and Principal Investigator for Precarious Work and Mental Health: Exploring Uncertainty through Research-Creation. Her research explores intersections of mental health, career, and learning, drawing on ecological resilience and relational developmental systems frameworks. Her interests have been shaped by a professional background in educational and clinical mental health settings.