Upcoming!
“Drawing the Nude Body is Revolt,” publication, Joy the Zine
Publications:
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- Glitter Clit #2, Chapbook Anthology, Obsolete Press, 2025
- What We’re Doing In Iowa Instead of Church, Artist Book, Obsolete Press, 2025
- My Abortion: My Choice, Woman Made Gallery, 2024
- Pitchick (multimedia chapbook/zine), Obsolete Press, 2024
- West (limited edition chapbook), Obsolete Press, 2023
- Glitter Clit (multimedia chapbook/zine), Obsolete Press, 2023
- “Polar Vortex,” Press Pause Press, 2020
- “Kitchen Sink,” Press Pause Press, 2020
- “4:26 AM,” Press Pause Press, 2020
- “Tinder Date #3,” Peach Fuzz Magazine Vol 8 Issue 1, 2020
- “fed,” Peach Fuzz Magazine Vol 7 Issue 2, 2020
- “Winter Intimacy,” Jam & Sand Journal, 2020
- “Witness Tree,” Jam & Sand Journal, 2020
- “Santa Barbara Patron,” The Rye Whiskey Review, 2020
- “lean,” The Rye Whiskey Review, 2020
- “Foxhead ends the night,” The Rye Whiskey Review, 2020
- “cycles,” The Rye Whiskey Review, 2020
Readings and Performances:
- Holiday Open-Mic, Mamakating Library, Wurtsboro, NY 2025
- BEHIND THE CURTAIN , What We’re Doing In Iowa Instead of Church, Capitol Theater, Burlington IA, 2025
- Typewriter Artist / Poet, Prompt Press, Downtown Block Party, Iowa City, IA 2025
- SKIRT WALK, Guerrilla Performance, Iowa Arts Festival, Iowa City, IA 2025
- OOTD, “Hands Off” Gallery Performance, Ali Hval, SCC Iowa Art Galleries, IA 2025
- Mission Creek Festival Lit Walk, Featured Reader, Iowa City, IA 2025
- Art Show at the WRAC, Group Show & Poetry Performance, Iowa City, IA 2025
- What We’re Doing In Iowa Instead of Church, One-Woman Show, Live Performance, Peter Paul Luce Gallery, Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, IA 2025
- This Charmed Life, “Hands Off” Gallery Performance, Ali Hval, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA 2025
- Storytelling on Orchard Street, Podcast, Brooklyn, NY, 2024
- Leisha & Pete Howl At The Moon, Live Performance, The Trumpet Blossom, Iowa City, IA 2024
- What We’re Doing In Iowa Instead of Church, One-Woman Show, Live Performance, Public Space One, Iowa City, IA 2024
- Body Freedom For Every(Body), Reproductive Justice Poetry Artist, Iowa City, IA 2024
- DIY Publishing in and through Iowa, Public Space One, Iowa City, IA 2024
- PO/ART/RY, ArtiFactory, Iowa City, IA 2024
- Very Swell Variety Show, Young Ethel’s, Brooklyn, NY, 2023
- Inspired Word Underground Poets Open Mic, Urban Vegan Kitchen, NYC, 2023
- SAEX, One-woman show, Public Space One, Iowa City, IA 2023
- Emma Goldman Women’s Clinic, Spring Fundraiser Featured Artist, Iowa City, IA 2021
- Drop the Mic Spoken Word Competition, 1st Place Iowa City, IA 2019
- The Hook, Open Mic Presenter, Cedar Rapids, IA 2018
- Group Poetry Reading SOMOS, Taos, NM 2018
- Va Va Voom! Burlesque Choreographer / Solo & Group Performer / Instructor, Cedar Rapids, IA 2013-2017
- Model, Inciting Rapture, Fashion Artwear by Judy Bales, Gilded Pear Gallery, Cedar Rapids, IA 2016
News:
“Leisha Nicole Stanek commands the space at PS1” by Kayla Person, Daily Iowan 2024
“Iowa City artists learn from drawing live models” by Isabelle Lubguban, Daily Iowan 2024
Recent Related Work History:
Workshop Instructor: 2023 – Present
Leading instruction on zine-making, printing, and DIY publishing at community arts centers, including: Elliston Poetry Room, University of Cincinatti, Princeton University, The Center For Book Arts, NYC, MCBA, Minneapolis, MN, Public Space One, Iowa City, IA
Art/Life Model: Nov 2009 – Present
Providing a full range of self-directed life drawing poses, from gestures to sustained poses for 2–4-hour classes at the University of Iowa, Stanley Museum of Art, Coe College, Cornell College, and others.
Simulated Patient: Aug 2023 – Aug 2025, University of Iowa School of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
Portraying all characteristics of a real patient, simulating signs and symptoms in a repetitive and consistent manner. Supplying constructive feedback to learners in communication sessions. Live Body for physical examinations. Strong improv skills.
Model Coordinator: May 2023 – May 2024, University of Iowa School of Art and Art History, Iowa City, Iowa
Interviewing, hiring, and training life models for classroom instruction. Conducting instructor training sessions for models-in-classroom. Responsible for the activity and placement of models. Acts as a medium between the models and instructors.
Education:
- Death doula training, The Dying Year
- BFA, Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids, IA