Mark Sheldon
Music Photographer & Advocate
Inducted into the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame in 2019
Mark Sheldon
(April, 21 1957 - Present)
Mark Sheldon is an Indianapolis based freelance photographer, specializing in music and life-style photography. Mark is a regular contributor to Down Beat magazine and his work has been featured in dozens of publications including Newsweek, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, The Wall Street Journal, Jazz Times, Living Blues, Time Out Chicago, Time Out New York, Keyboard magazine, Double Bassist/ Strad magazine (London), Guitar Player, Indianapolis Monthly and NorthWest Airlines “World Traveler”.
Mark has photographed thousands of musicians and dozens of music festivals over the past 40 years including but not limited to the Chicago Jazz Fest, Chicago Blues Fest, The King Biscuit Blues Fest, Monterey Jazz Fest, the Portland Jazz Fest, NYC’s Vision Fest and the Hyde Park Jazz Fest. Mark is the staff photographer for Indy Jazz Fest.
Additional work can be seen on countless artist websites, ads, billboards, books and cd/records. Mark’s work has also been shown in group and solo exhibitions in Indianapolis, New York City, Chicago and the Czech Republic.
Mark is an advocate for musicians everywhere; he has organized fundraising events in support of jazz musicians in Indianapolis. Mark produced the Great Day in Indy poster in 2008, featuring 109 of Indy’s finest jazz musicians. Proceeds from poster sales go towards jazz education in Indianapolis. Mark is currently a board member of the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation/Indy Jazz Fest and the board chair of its Legacy Committee.
