BIOGRAPHY

Sheila Fontanive, LCAT, ATR-BC is an American artist and licensed creative arts therapist who lives and works in Manhattan. Her figurative works often depict colorful scenes of animals, humans and nature. Sheila has worked as a clinician at several non-profit organizations in NYC, providing art therapy services to children, adults and families, and is currently in private practice. Her paintings frequently provide a space for professional self-processing and serve as responses to strong feelings aroused by clients. Themes of trauma and grief are often processed through her work and appear in her paintings through the use of symbol and metaphor.

Sheila Fontanive was born and raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She graduated from Barnard College with a BA in Art History and worked as a commission-based mural artist before attending School of Visual Arts, where she obtained her Master’s degree in Art Therapy in 2011. Sheila joined the faculty at SVA in 2017 where she is currently teaching in the graduate Art Therapy Department.

Sheila’s brother, J.C. Fontanive is an exhibiting artist living and working in NYC.