While living in Europe, Kelly the artist sold her first professional work in Amsterdam.  The beginning of her art career continued with a ‘Best in Show’ award for the Iowa Salon state-wide juried show in the mid-1990s.  Kelly is a trained potter and painter who has created and exhibited work since 1996.  As an artist, she is drawn to the clay medium using her past training in painting and sculpture to inform her clay work.  Her clay work ranges from wheel-thrown pottery to sculptural works.  Kelly teaches classes in her studio and offers classes to-go and parties at off-site locations.  She continues to work on her artistic craft in her private studio and promotes live wheel-thrown pottery performances for groups, conventions, and church worship services.  “I have a passion to bring the visual arts into the church,” says the artist, “because the choral and musical arts are widely embraced in the contemporary church, but the challenge is to show churches how the visual arts can be embraced to enhance their message and reach a contemporary audience.”  Kelly has had the opportunity to participate in worship services throughout the midwest.

Resume:

Education
Bachelor of Arts, studio art: painting, masters courses, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
Bachelor of Arts, studio art studies, Bradley University, Peoria, IL

Art Events       
Artfest planning committee, Springfield, MO
Cider Days, artist and crafter judge, Springfield, MO
ArtsFest, show juror, Springfield, MO

Professional Experiences
Art & Souls Studio and Art & Souls Ministry, live art performer, artist
 
Metro Community College, Adult pottery instructor, Omaha, NE
Camp Adventure International Youth Program, Curriculum Editor, Management Team, Cedar Falls, IA
Developed, wrote, and implemented theme-related curriculum for school age to teens.  Curriculum used by a staff of 900 college student counselors and 15,000 children worldwide.  Sole developer of Art Camp curriculum.

Omaha Children’s Museum, Program Educator
Developed curriculum and taught curriculum to school-aged children and teens. 

Iowa Summer Migrant Summer School Program, Art teacher, grades K-7
Developed and implemented curriculum for all age levels focusing on the study of famous artists as related to art projects.

Personal Testimony:
As I grew up, my family had a tremendous impact on me.  When I was young, I remember visiting my grandparents in their home and seeing my Grandma J. faithfully praying for me by sticking my photo and photos of other family members in her Bible.  She would rock in an easy chair and read her Bible and pray.  Our family attended church sporadically when I grew up.  Later, in high school I was active in sports and activities and I was nominated to an officer position of our high school FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) chapter even though I was not a Christian at that point.  That summer, I attended an FCA national leadership camp.  At the camp, I was encouraged to examine my faith and was introduced to what a relationship with Christ looks like in daily life.  At that camp I chose to give my life to Christ, to ask His forgiveness for my sins and shortcomings knowing I can never be perfect, and asked Him to accompany me on life’s journey.  His plan has given me direction and purpose in life and peace about the hereafter.  My relationship with Him has truly enriched my life’s journey by showing me what is important and His plan to bless me abundantly with the gifts He’s given me.  I have grown to express my prayers and conversations with God in the artwork I create.  And today, I seek His will and direction in a personal relationship with Christ that gives me a larger purpose in life and enriches my life’s experience.