Give Kayti Didriksen some broken mirrors, shattered plates, potatoes to carve into designs, some paint, then wait to be as amazed as much as the kids who create the now legendary art installations displayed at H. H. Garnet Elementary and Rock Hall Elementary schools.
Didriksen, a multidisciplinary artist, has been engaging Kent County students and teachers with art projects throughout the year as part of her residency at Kent Cultural Alliance. Thanks to funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, she is KCA’s first resident artist. The program hopes to “grow the number of artists and creative opportunities.”
Her extensive arts background has attracted collaborations with organizations “throughout the US and abroad including Faberge’, TEDx, The Joan Mitchell Foundation, NYU, Brooklyn Museum, and the Jazz Foundation of America as well as countless bands and musicians. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, NY Times, CNN and the BBC.”
Aside from her residency work, Didriksen continues to paint landscapes wherever her travels lead her, interpret live performances like the musical “Issac” where she captured movement and sound with line and color and also demonstrates the therapeutic facets of drawing when showing her art.
Another project, aside from her residency at KCA, is a large mural at Washington College’s Hodson Hall Commons. The mural, described as “Forest Succession,” portrays the evolutionary geological change in the formation of the earth’s ecosystem. It’s all that more impressive knowing that the rock and lichen designs were made with carved potatoes, plastic, and paper…and a host of students, faculty, and even the President of the College. Didriksen is negotiating with the College to continue the project. A reception for the Hodson Hall mural will be held December 6, 4-6 pm.
“KCA had the good fortune to meet Kayti at just the right time. Not only has she had a massive presence supporting our elementary and middle school art teachers, but she has document some of Kent County’s most treasured annual festivals and events. She did all of this even before we could open our building as a proper host for resident artists. Her dynamic personality and flexible nature has allowed us to bring some fantastic opportunities to this community,” says Kent Cultural Alliance Director John Schratwieser.
We look forward to her continued work in our community.
This video is approximately seven minutes in length. To see more of Kayti’s work, please go to her Facebook page here.
Her residency exhibition, “Great Expectations,” begins First Friday, December 2, 5-7 pm at 200 High Street Gallery (Next to RiverArts Clay Studio). During the run of the show, Kayti will also offer her fun interactive workshops
- Saturday, December 3CREATE with Kayti- I draw, you color portraits. 12-4
- Sunday, December 4
Draw together-meditative drawing /games 2-4 - Saturday, December 10
CREATE with Kayti- I draw, you color portraits 12-4 - Sunday, December 11
Draw together-meditative drawing/ games 2-4 - Saturday, December 17
Art Walk POP UP (oil paintings, and small works) 10-3 - Sunday, December 18
SUNDAY SURPRISE! 2-5
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