Kelly Lawler is a Philadelphia based artist, healer, and active community member.
What would it take to shift our world from the current, capitalistic, and consumerist culture to one that is driven by care?
Care of people, care of the earth, and care of not just the physical elements, but shifting the point of view from which every decision, action, and choice is made. For each person to pause and consider, “who will this impact?” and “how can I care more in this moment?” To create a momentum of caring that brings people together in ways that have yet to occur, and with more a more emotional drive towards doing the right thing for the right reasons. A human change that impacts all creatures great and small, allowing for our values to better align with the greater good, and a collectively determined priority.
Kelly Lawler, Art. A Gift to Ourselves, 2023, “Time to Adopt a Mindset of Radical Care”
bio.
Kelly Lawler contemplates the energy that connects us through her socially engaged work. Lawler received her MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2023, holds a MS in Sports Administration from Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA) and a BFA in Graphic Design from Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA).
Represented by the newly minted Mythic Gallery, Lawler exhibits her work and hosts community events across the Philadelphia area including Philadelphia Jewish Museum of Art, National Liberty Museum, Abington Art Center, and Gross McCleaf Gallery. She has shown her work at CSI Project Space and Cristopher Gallery in Chicago and has been commissioned and created public works for Community College of Philadelphia, Cherry Street Pier, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and Palmer Park in Philadelphia
A Landmark scholarship awardee, Lawler received the schools largest Venture Fund Award to support the sculpting, mold making, casting and finishing of a life sized octopus which involved the casting of 170 lbs of aluminum into 13 pieces. In 2024, she received an Illuminate the Arts Grant from Creative Philadelphia, the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Grant from the City of Philadelphia, and the Deena Gu Watercolor Prize from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Lawler lives and works in Philadelphia
THE ENERGY THAT CONNECTS
US E=mc2
Albert Einstein's life work confirmed what many philosophers, and spiritual leaders before his day had known, "energy equals mass times the speed of light squared." On the most basic level, the equation says that energy and mass (matter) are interchangeable; they are different forms of the same thing. That leads us to the statement that we are all made of energy.
Everything around us is made of energy, every animal, every plant, every rock; all the objects in our world are made of the same effulgent source energy. What can we 2 accomplish with this knowledge, how can we better understand this connection between us, and with that wisdom, could this knowledge, embraced holistically propel the evolution of our society from the very “I/me”, “us vs them'', to an all encompassing, and highly integrated “we.” Creating an enabled, autonomous society that approaches all decisions from a “we” perspective and as a result embraces a care practice organically and as a societal foundation.
We have learned (or been conditioned) through the course of time to be “productive” and to be “goal oriented” or “driven.” But I wonder if we shift those words, and say we want to reach a “flow state,” and “raise our vibrations,” what changes we would experience.
THE GIFT OF REPETITION
As we repeat a task, from raking leaves, to sewing a large quilt, to painting, each can very quickly become an effortless act, a muscle driven and brainless activity. One that brings with it soothing, calming, steadiness of breath, and flattening of brain waves. The repetition that occurs with art that clearly is soothing in a deep and meditative manner.
abbreviated cv
-
Education
2023 MFA in Fine Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1992 MS in Sports Administration, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
1986 BFA in Graphic Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
-
2025 Tikkun Olam, Philadelphia Jewish Museum of Art, Philadelphia
2025 Word Powered, National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia
2024 High in Fibre, Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA
2024 Existing is Political, CSI Project Space, Chicago
2024 August Skies, Triple Bottom Brewery, Philadelphia
2024 What Women Create Daydream, Prism Arts, Philadelphia
2024 Poetry of Sculpture, Christopher Gallery, Prairie State College, Chicago
2023 Secret, Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia
2023 PULP, Second State Press, Philadelphia
2023 Philadelphia Sculptors 5 into 1, Annenberg Gallery, Moore College, Philadelphia
2023 Annual Student Exhibition (ASE), Annenberg Gallery - PAFA, Philadelphia
2022 Light & Dark, Gallery 8, PAFA, Philadelphia
2022 Size Matters…In Art, Anne Bryan Gallery, PAFA, Philadelphia
2022 Sculpture Sharing, Broad Street Gallery, PAFA, Philadelphia
2022 Blue, Gallery 8, PAFA, Philadelphia
2021 Art from Art, Anne Bryan Gallery, PAFA, Philadelphia
2021 Yellow in Art, Student Lounge, PAFA, Philadelphia
Public Art & Commissions
2024 Kindness Tiles, Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
2024 No Bad Parts, Greater Philadelphia Culture Alliance (commission)
2024 Kindness Encyclopedias, Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia
2024 The Philly Journal, Philadelphia
2023 Pavel the Octopus, Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia
2023 Kindness Tiles, 915 Building, Philadelphia
2023 Kindness Tiles, Palmer Park, Philadelphia
-
Awards/Fellowships/Residencies
2024 Illuminate the Arts Grant, Creative Philadelphia
2024 Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Grant, City of Philadelphia
2023 Deena Gu Watercolor Prize, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2022 Visiting Scholar, Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar, Doha, Qatar
2022 Venture Fund Award, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2021 Landmark Scholarship awardee, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Lectures
2022 Artist Talk, Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar, Doha, Qatar, September 1
Publications as Artist
2023 “Art. A Gift to Ourselves & the Patiently Waiting Healer” Philadelphia
Professional Organization
2023 Philadelphia Sculpture Society, Steering Committee & Member
2023 Chicago Sculpture International
2023 National Sculpture Society
-
Press
2024 “Meet Kelly Lawler,” CanvasRebel
2024 The Philly Journal, “Kelly Lawler: Her MDMA Journey”
2023 Dedrain Dennis, “Alumni Spotlight: Kelly Brown Lawler, VCU
2023 Diana Wensley, “International Travels & Local Connections Come From the Heart for Kelly Lawler”, February 24, 2023
2023 Lasha Stewart, “PAFA Spotlight! Interview with Kelly Lawler”, PAFA Career Services Newsletter January 20, 2023
Teaching & Related Experience
2024-25 Bike Educator & BCYC Coach, Greater Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition
2022-25 Teaching Assistant, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA (Foundry, Mold Making, Ceramics)
2024 Citizens Planning Institute, Philadelphia
2023 Mural Intern, Temple Beth Sholom Kids Court Yard, Cherry Hill, NJ