Meet Kylee McKinney | Local artist and designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kylee McKinney and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kylee, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I pursued art as my career because it has been something I’ve dedicated my life to. I began like everyone else doing art class in elementary school and it has inspired me since. The ability to create my ideas into physical manifestations is exhilarating – there is so much power behind the ability to create imagery, one that I feel people sometimes forget. They say a picture is worth a thousand words but as an artist, I have the ability to create thousand upon thousands of words, stories, and ideas from an image. Being an artist is my way of connecting with the world around me and my way of processing my personal world. It’s a passion that I’ve always had and will always pursue further.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m still in the process of establishing a career in the arts. I do commissions for side money and am always trying to meet fellow artists and build those supportive connections. I am a student at the College of Arts and Media at CU Denver where I am working on my degree in fine arts, illustration, and digital design. These paths will give me a wide range of options upon graduation and get my foot through the door. It’s definitely not easy trying to establish a creative career when you aren’t well-known in the local art scene. Right now I am working my best for gallery showings and building a portfolio to showcase my work. From these challenges I’ve definitely learned being a career artist is a lot more difficult than established artists make it out to be. This just encourages me to work harder to achieve my dreams. I want the world to acknowledge small artists (like myself) and support their local community artists as they would big-name artists; art is fundamental to community and should be encouraged and shared.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Colorado has so many wonderful places to visit. I love the outdoors so hiking and exploring the national park and local nature trails would be definite, and exploring the mountain towns is always so much fun! The Denver metro area is filled to the brim with local businesses and restaurants of every cuisine imaginable, you can never get bored eating in Denver! I personally also enjoy the Denver Nature and Science museum; it’s filled to the brim with so many interesting things that can even inspire a work of art! The local art galleries are a must, for example, Pirate Contemporary Art Gallery on Colfax. I’ve even shown my work there a couple of times, but the member gallery is always phenomenal.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out to my parents, Casey and Denise, for never doubting my decision to pursue art and encouraging me every step of the way. I also want to shout out my previous art teacher, Ms. Provenzano, for inspiring me to pursue a career in art like she has, always pushing me for improvement and taking my art to the next level.
Website: https://www.kyleemckinneyart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyleemckinneyart/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsPSCJGiNT7u7Pc3w2dxfQ