Sarasota-based creative professional, Kathleen Sienna Kelly is an expert in technology and painting. Kelly's work recently exhibited in three group shows at Art Center Sarasota and two at Lena Rincon Art Gallery.
In 2018, her coastal canvases were chosen by jury for inclusion in an international exhibit at Cape Cod Museum of Art and the Provincetown Art Museum.
Kelly graduated cum laude from Paier College of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration. Her work was published by children's book publishers Holiday House, Atheneum, and E.P. Dutton. The McGraw-Hill Companies hired Kelly to produce K-12 educational software for their New Media Division. As Digital Artist, she collaborated with instructional designers and engineers and managed outsource artists. Kelly was promoted to Project Manager and lead creative teams for five years while successfully managing an approximate 30 million development budget. Kelly worked with former McGraw-Hill colleagues as Creative Technologist at a mobile game startup where she concepted, branded, and designed interactive games.
Kelly graduated magna cum laude from the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting. She launched the Developing Artist Institute, LLC, a private art school within the historic district of Manchester, Connecticut. The Manchester Arts Commission inducted Kelly as Visual Artist into the Arts Hall of Fame. She served as State President of the Connecticut chapter of the National Organization of Business and Professional Women.
Kelly co-taught an Intro to Painting course with professor Cat Balco for a semester at the Hartford Art School. She also substituted for Balco in Seminar, Perspective, and Thinking and Drawing courses. Following College Board certification in AP studio art, Kelly launched a commercial art studio (Kelly Art Studios, LLC) in the former space of Ovation Guitar. In 2017, a devastating flood from the ceiling destroyed the art studio. In 2021, Kelly launched Sun Sea Originals, LLC– a testament to the resilience of the creative spirit.
Kathleen Sienna Kelly painting Plein Air on Lido Key Beach (Sarasota, FL)
Kathleen Mary Kelly with MFA Colleagues (Bloomfield, CT)
Kathleen Mary Kelly in her art studio. (Easton, CT)
Photo by newspaper reporter announcing a book signing at Easton Public Library.