A native New Orleanian and alumna of Xavier University and Florida State University, Jones, who primarily identifies as a sculptor, is also an educator. Throughout her long-standing and impressive career, more than 20 years, she has taught over one-thousand students at various institutions, including New Orleans Public School Talented in the Visual Arts and Southern University of New Orleans. Jones currently teaches at Xavier University of Louisiana.
One of the most prominent artists in New Orleans, Jones has a stunning command of figurative images, and her ability to coalesce the humanity and beauty of her subjects is relatable and accessible to audiences. Jones has been awarded numerous commissions to create public works of art.
In 2021, Sheleen was commissioned by the state of Louisiana, to create a monument (in relief form) to honor black military service persons. It was unveiled on July 19, 2023. Located in Veterans Memorial Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it is the first of its kind on the State Capitol Complex. The monument is designed to elevate public awareness about the many contributions of black military service men and women and pay tribute to their bravery in protecting our state and nation. It begins with formerly enslaved soldiers who took part in the Siege at Port Hudson during the Civil War and continues through modern-day conflicts. Jones always does extensive research, which she considers an essential element of her work. The intricate details and symbolic elements and images in the Heritage Monument are a hallmark of her sculptures. While some of the figures depicted in the monument are well known, there are many who have been overlooked in historical resources. Jones' work helps to contextualize, reimagine and re-establish their place back in history.
Other works by Jones include her statue of Mardi Gras Indian Tootie Montana which was commissioned in 2010. It is befitting of a man who was called affectionately referred to as the "prettiest-- Chief of Chiefs" among Mardi Gras Indians. Jones' statue of Chief Tootie Montana is one of several publicly commissioned works by the artist. Others include sculptures of Civil Rights Attorney A.P. Tureaud Sr. (1997), entitled Opening the Doors of Opportunity, and her statue of activist State Rep. Reverend Avery C. Alexander (2002) entitled The Crusader.
According to the artist, her Healing Tree, commissioned by New Orleans East Hospital, "began at the end of the story." It has no human figures, but the tiny mirrors placed on the tree's bark allow viewers to see themselves, present and accounted for. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Jones reimagined the purpose of a tree stump that had been nearly destroyed. Her hand-sculpted Healing Tree embodied symbolic images, words, and motifs representing the community's vitality before and after the storm's landfall.
The pace of gentrification and the lack of resources often threaten to efface history. However, Jones' sculptural images have helped cement the traditional, culturally relevant, and sacred identity of the spaces they interact with. That is part of her "footprint" as an artist and our human experience as a community. Jones's ultimate goal is not just to create a strong likeness of her subject matter; and strives for authenticity. "To build new memories by carving familiar faces into significant places.”
