We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Lewis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I have worked on is a collaborative non-profit born of the healing we receive from the arts. The Pagosa Community Initiative is a family resources center born from a prior non-profit that I was a part of. The motto of the prior organization was “Art for All,” and we started an afterschool program that served kids and families by providing art and play-based afterschool care. As we developed that program, we found that our families and students have big lives filled with trauma, hardship, and loss. The Pagosa Community Initiative was born. We separated from the previous art organization with a mission that is solely based around serving those most at risk in our small community through the arts, play, and access to the outdoors. It is truly a passion project that myself and another local artist and educator, Jenna Gannon, started together. We have already seen so much change in the children and families in our programming.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always been drawn to the arts. I have lots of schooling in the arts, a BFA in Printmaking, an MA in Teaching the visual arts, and I am currently working on a MFA in Painting thanks to an amazing grant from the Colorado Department of Education. I have worked as a screenprinter, graphic designer, muralist, art director, art tour guide, and as an art teacher, so I have done a bit of it all! Currently I work mostly in the world of teaching and painting. I helped start a creative community workspace called The Studios in Pagosa Springs, Colorado where I teach adults, and I also teach at the local high school. I do a lot of painting which I show in locations around town and I travel to paint murals. My work is about the relationship we have with wild spaces like the National Forest and Wilderness areas around my town. My paintings are joyful and feature mostly bears, but lots of wildlife to promote positive relationships to help inspire preservation and conservation. On an additional note, a portion of all of my earning from my fine art are put toward conservation efforts or programs to help my community. I think something that sets me apart from others is joy. I feel so truly grateful to live where I do, be around the people in my community, and make art that makes people happy. I am not out to make a million dollars, but I would so much rather have my art be affordable to everyone. Everyone deserves the chance to collect beautiful art for their home and it can just be so expensive. I love when I get opportunities to crate public art as well. Spreading that joy and making art that can make people smile is truly magical.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The mission of my work is to create joyful community both with people and with the world around us. Since moving from Austin, TX to a tiny mountain town, it is so amazing to see how having a small community can create such a different mindset. In a big city, I was anonymous, there was little accountability for how people treated each other. Here in a small town, you don’t tailgate people or do rude big city things, because there is a good chance you know them. I love that! I love that small actions can have a huge impact. When you bring intentional kindness to those actions it can be an incredible way to share joy and kindness and create a better world for everyone.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the best part of the making is sharing. I love connection works of art with buyers. Whether people buy or not, being able to watch people walk up to my art, smile, and make a connection is incredible. I can share a message, share kindness, and it gets passed on. What could possibly be better than that?   

Contact Info:

• Website: kellylewis.art
• Instagram: kellylewis.art

Image Credits
Kelly Lewis