Shelley Niro was born in Niagara Falls, New York and resides in Brantford, Ontario. She completed a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Western Ontario (1997) and is recognized internationally for her work in photography and film.
Niro was awarded the prestigious Eiteljorg Fellowship for Native American Fine Art from Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she was included in the group exhibition, After the Storm (2001). Her film, Honey Moccasin (1998) received many awards throughout North America.
Niro has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions including: Twas The Night Before Chaos, YOUME Gallery, Hamilton, Ontario (2007), Red Skin Dreams with Sherwin Bitsui, Venice Biennale, Italy (2003), Divergences with Rebecca Belmore, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina Saskatchewan. Recently she exhibited with Jeff Thomas Contemporary Voices at Canada House, London. In 2005 she completed Suite: INDIAN, a series of six short films involving artists, actors, musicians and dancers mostly based on the Six Nations Reserve.