Beyond Boundaries

Beyond Division

What is the Artof
connection?           

the

Reclaiming

human

Who are we before culture tells us who we are?

I am an artist, writer, dialogue facilitator, and cultural strategist.

I collaborate with individuals and groups using art, dialogue, and immersive experiences to explore and challenge social narratives that encourage misunderstanding and separation. One-on-one sessions are designed specifically for each person.‍

My collaboration practice creates conditions that support self-determination and autonomy, deepen connection with self and others. They also foster more meaningful and reciprocal connections across difference in both life and work.


I help leaders become more human-centered by uncovering the cultural myths, assumptions, and unseen forces that influence their thinking, decisions, and leadership.

Leaders who have worked with me develop a deeper capacity to navigate complexity. They understand that every decision reverberates across the interconnected lives of staff, clients, families, communities, and society at large.

Over the past three years, I have collaborated with leaders of cultural and philanthropic organizations to advance community impact.

They learn that honoring human dignity is not separate from organizational success—it is the foundation of it.

For more than a decade, I have facilitated dialogues on humanity in spaces including the Portland Art Museum, The New School in New York City, and a range of public, private, and gallery settings.

My artwork has been exhibited in museums and galleries across Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle.

Beneath The Surface

Human Connection in Practice

Embracing contradiction
Broadened self-awareness

Expansive views on culture 

Seeing beyond cultural differences

Embodying discomfort as growth

Deeper relational understanding
New perspectives on connection
Greater appreciation for nuance
More meaningful communication

Humanity collaborations are
multi-dimensional experiences.

We use curiosity and discomfort as gateways to understanding the illusion of otherness.

Another reality is that we're so busy living that we forget we're human beings. Through expansive guided inquiry, we discover new ways of seeing and being.

  • "Sharyll is a master facilitator in waters many fear to tread, with an unparalleled ability to create a holding environment for deep reflection and insight into some of the most profound human questions."

    —Lisa Shannon, Human Rights Activist and award-winning author of A Thousand Sisters

  • "Art is one of the most powerful forces for change because some artists have the ability to hold up a mirror to our actions and our mistakes, helping us to construct new paths into the future. Sharyll Burroughs is that kind of artist."

    —Jennifer Rabin, Artist/Arts Writer

  • "Sharyll is a thought leader. Her unwavering vision and welcoming presence has been transformative. She balances safety and discomfort which creates movement, movement towards resolution and change."

    Vikki Mee, Philanthropist

  • “The experience was illuminating and life-affirming, instructive and inspiring. In both her life and her work, Sharyll underscores the possibilities for change and evolving human consciousness.”

    Beth Harrington, Documentary Filmmaker

  • "Sharyll’s selections of material and personal sharing and skillful facilitation sparked deep thinking and personal investigation for all participants."

    -Lama Eric Triebelhorn

  • "The immersion was compelling, unforgettable, got under my skin - which is exactly the best thing it could do."

    Ellen G., Editor

  • “Sharyll accomplishes a most transformative thing - helping people to come to insight. And that is the architecture of evolutionary change.”

    —Tim C.

Different

SAMEWOrK

Experiences

The Dharma of

James Baldwin

An exploration of James Baldwin’s philosophy of the human.

FIRST

HUMANITY

For Leaders and

Decision Makers

A thought-provoking art-based immersion that develops nuanced thinking, sharpens communication, and cultivates human-centered leadership.

You've mastered the game.
Now examine the rules.

Understand the forces that drive behavior, ambition, and belief in modern society—and cultivate the wisdom to direct your attention, commitment, and energy toward what truly matters: people, not spreadsheets.

Clarity is a competitive edge.

SKINFOLK

A monthly gathering and an evolving essay anthology exploring the language of nonconformity across voices, disciplines, and ways of life—centered on radical thought, dialogue, and shared humanity.

REFUGE

Refracting slave ship diagrams to reclaim the beauty of those who were denied their humanity.

ART

IMMERSIVEEXPERIENCES

DIALOGUE