By NVOS artist Karen Lynn Ingalls
Fine craftsmanship and creating handmade work is very important to new NVOS artist Mikey Kelly. He hand cuts, bends, welds, grinds, and files each piece of steel used in his metal sculptures. His work is, in his own words, "about the playful dialogue between lines, shapes, and shadows," and is intended to "straddle the worlds of art and design, while being intensively hand crafted."
Mikey finds inspiration in the artwork of Harry Bertoia, Ruth Asawa, Lee Bontecou, Japanese bamboo art, and the 60s–70s brass work of C. Jere – all of which has not only inspired him, but informed him of how expressive a material can be.
He received his Masters of Fine Art degree in Ceramics and Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art, and his undergraduate studies were in ceramics, glass, and fine art.
His work has been exhibited at Franklin Parrasch Gallery in New York City, as well as in the 2012 and 2013 Art on First exhibitions in Napa, among others. In 2003, Mikey was a Raphael Founders' Prize finalist, for the Society for Contemporary Craft.
Mikey lives and works in Napa, and has spent the last four years working for Gordon Huether Studio as Project manager and Fabricator.
His work can also be seen in Barney's, Bergdorf Goodman, and The Standard and Ace Hotels, and can be found in collections across the country.Mikey's studio is a steel art studio, and is industrial in comparison with many other artist's studios. He will have work in progress, as well as a collection of work from his past – in painting, ceramics, and foundry work.
And you can see it at Studio #16, Mikey Kelly Studio, 849Jackson St. #6B, in Napa, California, during Open Studios on the last two weekends of September. You can also see Mikey's work online at www.mikeykelly.com.
NVOS artist Karen Lynn Ingalls writes for this blog and our Facebook page (seen it yet?) and paints, paints, paints. You can see her artwork during Open Studios at Studio #48, with Sequoia Buck, west of Calistoga, and online at www.KarenLynnIngalls.com. She also teaches art classes and workshops, which you can find at www.NapaValleyArtWorkshops.com.
