Madeline LeBlanc’s art career began during a period of homelessness when she turned to art as a means of filling her time. To create her artwork, she utilized the resources available at a shelter, such as craft paint, paper, and cardboard. Her journey from homelessness to artist was widely covered by CBC News and other news outlets. That experience solidified her artistic mission of promoting arts to the general public.
Madeline’s artistic talents were nurtured by Natalia Mishchenko, an instructor at the Fine Art Academy in Kiev, Ukraine, whom she met online. With Mishchenko, she learned that drawing is a sense that has to be fostered without the use of measuring tools. This key advice has been integral in the development of her intuitive art style. For her developed portfolio, Madeline has been awarded full scholarships to attend prominent institutions, including the Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Madeline is a recipient of the 2022 Edmonton Artist Trust Fund Award for her work that documented the Edmonton arts scene. In that same year, she was nominated for the Canadian Sobey Award. She was also the runner-up for the 2023 Eldon and Anne Foote Award for her exhibition Tween, which was featured at the Works International Visual Arts Festival in Edmonton.
Madeline’s artwork is inspired by botanical illustration, fantasy, and humor. She has exhibited her work across Canada, including at the Esker Foundation (in Calgary); the Art Gallery of Alberta (in Edmonton); Ace Art, Inc. (in Winnipeg); the Works International Art and Design Festival (in Edmonton), and other venues.
Solo Exhibitions
2027: Wildflowers of Alberta, University of Alberta Botanic Garden, Devon, AB
2025: Natural Light, Harcourt House, Edmonton, AB
2025: Secret Garden, The Works Art and Design Festival, Edmonton, AB
2024: Wildflowers of Alberta, The Esker Foundation, Calgary, AB
2022: Tween, The Works Art and Design Festival, Edmonton, AB
2022: Every Dream is a Heartache, Introspective, Edmonton, AB
2022: Natural Light, YMCA Don Wheaton Gallery, Edmonton, AB
Group Exhibitions
2024: Room to Grow Taller, Ace Art, Inc., Winnipeg, MB
2023: Allison Tunis: The Chronic Illness Project, McMullen Gallery, Edmonton, AB
2022: 5 Artists 1 Love, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
2022: Nextfest Festival, Roxy Theatre, Edmonton, AB
2021: The Soil Between Plants, Latitude 53, Edmonton, AB
2021: Artists in the Fallow Fall Show, Brighton Block, Edmonton, AB
2021: Community Art Gallery, CO*LAB-Community {Arts} Laboratory, Edmonton, AB
2021: AGA Sidewalk Cinema, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
2017: Visual Voices, Youth Empowerment Support Services, Edmonton, AB
Awards & Residencies
2022/2023: The Distinguished Scholar/Trustee Scholarship, awarded by the Art Institute of
Chicago
2022: Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund Award ($15,000), Edmonton Arts Council
2022: The Dean Scholarship, awarded by Rutgers University to attend the BFA program at
Mason Gross School of Arts
2022: Artist in Residence, Bleeding Hearts Artspace, Edmonton, AB
2021: MAG Mentorship Exchange, Mitchell Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB
2015: Award of Merit for Advocacy of Social Justice, Edmonton Social Planning Council
2015: National Philanthropy Award for Environmentalism, National Association of Fundraising
Professionals
Oral Presentations
2023: Art Accessibility, Northern Alberta Institute for Technology, Edmonton, AB
2023: Homeless Not Hopeless: Art As a Means of Overcoming Adversity, Canadian Artist
Representation
2022: Creating Portfolio Pizazz, Nextfest Festival, Edmonton, AB
2022: Exhibition Interview: Tween, The Works International Visual Arts Society, Edmonton, AB
2022: Artist Interview: Schmoozy, Latitude 53, Artist Studio, Edmonton, AB
2021: Now Live: Allison Tunis Studio Visit, Latitude 53, Edmonton, AB
2021: The Mother, Artists in the Fallow Fall Show, Brighton Block, Edmonton, AB
Workshops
2023: Black History Month Colouring Workshop, Northern Alberta Institute for Technology,
Edmonton, AB
2022: Crocodile Wizard Halloween Photo Booth, East Glen High School, Edmonton Public
School District, Edmonton, AB
2022: Rave the Grave Gala: Halloween Adult Colouring Workshop, Art Gallery of Alberta,
Edmonton, AB
2022: Cariwest Community Colouring Workshop, Cariwest Festival, Edmonton, AB
2022: Large-Scale Colouring Workshops, The Works Art & Design Festival, Edmonton, AB
2022: Nextfest Artist Mentor, Nextfest Festival, Edmonton, AB
2022: Colouring with Madi, The Works International Visual Arts Society, Edmonton, AB
2021: Garden Drawing Workshop, Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre, Edmonton, AB
Publications About Madeline
“Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund Shines Light on Edmonton’s Art Stars,” Legacy in Action
Magazine, March 2023
“Twenty Edmonton Artists Receive Grants to Support Their Creative Contributions,” Edmonton Journal, December 2022
“Edmonton Arts Council Celebrates the Achievements of 20 Local Professional Artists,”
Edmonton Arts Council Blog, December 2022
“It Gave Me Hope: Art Helps Edmonton Woman Overcome Homelessness,” |CBC News, January 2022
Permanent Collections
2023 - Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Edmonton, Alberta
2018 - MC College, Edmonton, Alberta