Draft:Kelli Scott Kelley

• Comment: Please put a reference list Warm Regards, Miminity (talk) (contribs) 11:34, 20 August 2024 (UTC)

---

Kelli Scott Kelley

Kelli Scott Kelley (born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an American artist and professor of painting known for her mixed-media narrative works. She is currently a professor at the Louisiana State University School of Art.

Early Life and Education

Kelley was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Louisiana State University in 1984 and her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1987.

Career

Kelley's work is characterized by its exploration of subconscious worlds, folklore, and mythology. Her mixed-media narrative paintings, drawings, and objects often feature hybrid beings and dreamlike scenarios that explore human connections to the natural world, as well as psychological and sociopolitical themes.

Her career includes numerous solo exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Some notable exhibitions include:

• On Emptiness – Spillman Blackwell Gallery, New Orleans, LA (2023)
• Migrations – Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art, Baton Rouge, LA (2020)
• Dominion – A-Space Gallery, Philadelphia, PA (2019)
• Accalia and the Swamp Monster – Michelson Museum of Art, Marshall, TX (2017); Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, LA (2016); and Bradbury Art Museum, Arkansas State University (2015)
• Fairytale – Hooks Epstein Gallery, Houston, TX (2011)
• Anima Umbra – Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO (2001)

Kelley's work is part of several permanent collections, including the Tyler Museum of Art, Hall Art Foundation, Hilliard Art Museum, Alexandria Museum of Art, LSU Museum of Art, Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. She is represented by Spillman Blackwell Fine Art in New Orleans, Andrew Durham Gallery in Houston, and is a long-time member of the Baton Rouge Gallery.

Luminous Lookout

In 2019, Kelley co-founded a three-woman art collective called Luminous Lookout. The collective focuses on using representational imagery to create narratives that inspire social dialogue and critique. Their exhibitions include:

• Indelible Tales – Baton Rouge Gallery (2024, upcoming)
• Spinning Bones – Batesville Art Center, Batesville, AR (2022)
• Luminous Lookout – Baton Rouge Gallery (2021)
• Spectral Marauding – Redux Contemporary Art Center, Charleston, SC (2020)
• Luminous Lookout – LHUCA, Lubbock, TX (2019)

Accalia and the Swamp Monster

Kelley authored a book featuring her narrative artwork titled *Accalia and the Swamp Monster* in 2014, published by LSU Press. This project was supported by an Awards to Louisiana Artists and Scholars (ATLAS) grant of $32,000. The project was exhibited at several venues, including the LSU Museum of Art and the Houston Jung Center Gallery.

Style and Themes

Kelley’s art blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, often using repurposed materials like linens to add historical and domestic layers to her work. Her narratives typically feature metaphorical representations of figures, animals, and objects, exploring themes of humankind's connections and disconnections with the natural world.

Awards and Grants

Throughout her career, Kelley has received numerous awards and grants, including:

• Provost’s Emerging Research Faculty Research Grant (2023)
• Jentel Artist Residency (2022)
• Ucross Foundation Artist Residency (2021)
• Michael Crespo Visual Artist Fellowship (2014)
• ATLAS Award (Awards to LA Artists and Scholars) (2012)
• Rainmaker Award, Louisiana State University (2008)

Selected Exhibitions

• On Emptiness – Spillman Blackwell Gallery, New Orleans, LA (2023)
• Migrations – Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art, Baton Rouge, LA (2020)
• Dominion – A-Space Gallery, Philadelphia, PA (2019)
• Accalia and the Swamp Monster – LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA (2014); Bradbury Art Museum, Arkansas State University (2015)
• Anima Umbra – Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO (2001)

External Links

• [Kelli Scott Kelley at Baton Rouge Gallery](http://www.batonrougegallery.org/artists/kelli-scott-kelley)
• [Kelli Scott Kelley at Spillman Blackwell Fine Art](https://www.spillmanblackwellart.comHere's

• [Kelli Scott Kelley’s Faculty Profile at Louisiana State University](http://design.lsu.edu/people/kelli-scott-kelley/)
• [Featured Artist: Kelli Scott Kelley - MockingHeart Review](https://mockingheartreview.com/archives/volume-5-issue-1/artwork-for-the-new-twenties/featured-artist-kelli-scott-kelley/)
• [Kelli Scott Kelley at Passage Vision](https://passagevision.com/kelley.html)
• [Meet Kelli Scott Kelley - Bold Journey](https://boldjourney.com/meet-kelli-scott-kelley/)
• [Kelli Scott Kelley Solo Exhibit - The Advocate](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/kelli-scott-kelley-opens-solo-exhibit-in-new-orleans/article_b2b34972-b7e6-11ed-b863-f7cc85ec929e.html)
• [Artists of Baton Rouge: Kelli Scott Kelley - East Baton Rouge Parish Library](https://ebrpl.libguides.com/artistsofbr/kelliscottkelley)
• [Kelli Scott Kelley Awarded Provost's Fund for Innovation in Research Grant - LSU School of Art](https://design.lsu.edu/kelli-scott-kelley-awarded-provosts-fund-for-innovation-in-research-grant/)
• [Luminous Lookout - Baton Rouge Gallery](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/luminous-lookout-sept-2021)
• [Accalia and the Swamp Monster - LSU Press](https://lsupress.org/9780807155134/accalia-and-the-swamp-monster/)
• [Dysfunctional Family Provides Artist Inspiration for Work - The Advocate](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/art/accalia-and-the-swamp-monster-dysfunctional-family-provides-artist-inspiration-for-work/article_bb0e0fab-f886-5771-82cc-46585bc7dffd.html)
• [Swamp Magic - Country Roads Magazine](https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/literature/swamp-magic/)
• [Nola Diaspora - Word Place](https://noladiaspora.org/table_of_contents_wordplace.htm)