Twelve Years and Forward

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. 

 

 In 2013, I was the artist for the Annual Wellsville Balloon Rally and opened my studio to the public to participate in the Allegany Artisan Studio Tour that happens every October. 

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.

....That was then.

This is now....