Twelve Year Anniversary~ Gratitude
After completing my Business Plan in the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program at ACCORD Corporation and with the assistance of a small business start-up grant from vocational rehabilitation services at VESID, I opened SheilaLynnK Art Studio in October of 2011.
Despite a very alarming medical diagnosis and its associated predictions, with Reasonable Accommodations; so many Things have happened since then...
CREATIVELY STRIVING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE.... With over twenty years of experience in the arts community and fourteen years of experience implementing creative wellness practices into my vocational goals, I continue to create art and am passionate about expanding local equitable access to the arts for the wellness of our community. In these and other efforts I collaborated with a wide variety of creators, organizations, and volunteers to support a diverse population of individuals in achieving their creative goals and meeting program needs through online and live facilitation and management of public events, activities, and one-on-one consultations.
As the founder and manager of the
Belfast Organization for Artists (2009-present), a charitable community project
from my studio, I work to promote creative unity and awareness of the arts in
the Belfast, NY area as I’ve initiated other charitable creative community
projects and free/affordable workshops
from my studio.
Initially started as a national fully-funded survivors’ portrait series, Inspired by The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists & the Future by Arlene Goldbard; I became the artist, creator, and manager of the Art For Arachnoiditis Project (2014-2018) which eventually served arachnoiditis survivors in 93 countries (WordPress Report 2015). As this project grew, I coordinated printing, framing, and presentation of all visual and audio international works digitally submitted. I evaluated these assorted works for display providing other survivors with empowering creative wellness opportunities and increasing public and legislative awareness of the need for prevention. Due to financial hardship frequently experienced during chronic medical conditions; I coordinated volunteers, promoted and worked with local venues, and secured crowd funding for this program allowing participating artists to join the project at no cost to themselves or their families. The project website remains online as a free creative wellness resource for survivors.
Inspired by SWAN Day at WomenArts.org,
I developed SWAN Days Allegany
County NY (2014-2020).
I initiated annual outreach to local creators and venues to uplift and amplify
a wide variety of work by local women artists in conjunction with invitational
opportunities for local businesses and venues to join and promote their own
services and projects in a calendar of events which eventually lasted through
March and April each year. As COVID closed the 2020 Exhibit after it was on
display at David A. Howe Library, I transformed the event into an online
exhibit and activities which honored and promoted the works of each individual
artists.
After fully funded invitational
attendance at the 2018 Statera Arts
National Conference and the 2018 Culture/Shift conference
of the US Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC),
I believe in and adopted a Cultural Policy of
Belonging for my studio and implement these
concepts across all areas of my work.
In addition to creating my own art,
studio website,
and Youtube channel;
for the duration of these fiscally sponsored
charitable public projects I managed promotional content on my blog, the BOFA blog,
Patreon, and social media including: twitter, facebook, and linkedIn.
To my astonishment as I reflect on the history of my business and turn the page to begin a new chapter; the evolution of my education, career &
work scope (from the US Army, to Alfred University Painting & Ceramics
Graduate, to NYS Certified Teacher, to Local Advocate for At-Risk Youth, to
After School Program Manager, to Records Retention Coordinator at Allegany Arc
and as an Artist & Business Owner working in these areas of knowledge and
experience with an on-going dedication to expand cultural awareness and
independent sustainable wellness) has prepared me for the duties of a diverse
range of employment opportunities and to be a valuable asset participating in the world.
I am eternally thankful for the numerous gifts, amazing people, and creative Things I have experienced so far. I look forward to what comes next as I continue to grow more fascinated by life every day.
COMING SOON....
Subscribing Patrons will be able to unlock a preview of my new Creative Wellness Meditation coloring book, Sacred Harmony, being published as a hard copy later this month. Watch for posts about how to pre-order your copy HERE.
