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

Kelsey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In 2020, I was at a crossroads. I had spent the past 7 years working in the social work field and neglecting the creative part of me. I had graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in psychology and Studio Arts in 2012 and had really only dabbled in the arts since- doodling on notebook paper during long meetings, painting when i felt the stress of my job, etc. I continually turned to art when I was struggling, finding reprieve in the creation process. I had just left a toxic workplace where I felt like the job I was doing was not actually making a difference and I was losing myself in the process.

Then I discovered Momentum, and gratefully, they were hiring. The second that I walked in the door, I knew that this program would change my life.

Momentum, a program of Community Support Advocates, is a nonprofit art program for individuals with disabilities and mental health conditions situated in the heart of Des Moines’ artist community, Mainframe Studios. Momentum provides a free art studio for anyone to use along with supplies, mentorship, workshops and classes, and exhibition opportunities. It is the goal of the program to increase access to the arts while building hope and resilience through the creation process.

Within my first month as Momentum’s program coordinator, I witnessed the life-changing impact that art has on people struggling with their mental health or disabilties. I kn0w that it had helped me cope in my own life, but seeing others experience the healing power of art is truly incredible. I’ve seen people open up and process trauma, find new hobbies and start successful businesses, grow their confidence, and build a community of creative folks that loves, supports, and accepts each other exactly for who they are.

Each year, we put on an exhibition titled Works of Growth and Recovery featuring artists with disabilities and mental health conditions throughout the Central Iowa area. It’s truly an event that celebrates differences and tackles the stigma surrounding mental health and disability. This exhibition is free and open to the public and encourages individuals to change their perspective, interact with their community, and increase accessibility in the art world.

Momentum has given me the confidence to take my own leap back into art. I’ve learned so much from my artists including how to take risks and put myself out there even when it’s scary. This past spring, I launched my own LLC, Clay + Slay.

Kelsey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My mission is to make art more accessible and inclusive to all. Momentum is an art program specifically for individuals living with disabilities or mental health conditions and it’s my goal to help those individuals navigate the barriers that our society has put in place. I’ve seen art make a positive impact on my own mental health and have personally witnessed the life-changing benefits of art on others. The work I have done with Momentum has changed the way that I make my own art as well. I create jewelry that is empowering and supportive of social justice movements and diverse communities.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Artists are striving towards creating inclusive, creative spaces. But accessibility is more that just adding entry ramps, automatic doors, or widening doorways. The term ‘accessibility’ reaches beyond the definition of ‘giving equal access’, and disability is only one of several factors where consideration should be given. How can we build inclusive creative communities for all, regardless of ability, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status? Working with individuals with disabilities, mental health conditions, and other barriers, I’ve had a lot of time to think about art accessibility.

Some ways that I have encouraged my community to be more accessible is using audio descriptions for the blind or visually impaired and having available translation services for those that use sign language or speak other languages. A lot of the individuals that I work with live with disabilities that make external stimuli difficult, so we offer sensory friendly options, touch tours, and content warnings to assist with people living with PTSD. The poverty rate for people with disabilites is double the national average, so all of our exhibitions are free.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up, I was always so envious of artists. Their easy uniqueness and ability to make even those most mundane things ‘cool’. I loved art throughout my childhood and spent all of my free time being creative, but never thought of myself as an ‘artist’. I thought being an artist meant that you could create literal masterpieces like Monet and Davinci. Even graduating from college with a degree in art did not get me to ‘artist’ level. It wasn’t until I started working at Momentum that I realized that being an artist had nothing to do with skill and everything to do with a feeling. Being an artist is tapping into that creative energy, letting yourself experiment and get out of your comfort zone, and losing yourself in the process of art. It took a lot of time for me to let go of my expectations of what art really was.

Now I tell everyone that comes into Momentum that being an artist is as simple as naming yourself. Do you FEEL like an artist? then you are.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.teamcsa.org www.claynslay.com
• Instagram: clay.n.slay csa_dsm
• Facebook: Community Support Advocates Clay+Slay