Kellie Gillespie is an interdisciplinary artist practicing and exploring new sculptural installation concepts in Los Angeles, CA, and the Washington DC-Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Her work focuses on issues specifically associated with mental health and the concepts of recovery and survivorship. Motivated by her direct personal experiences, she embraces the controversial subject matter of mental illness as she investigates the problematic place it holds in society. Gillespie uses her work to advocate for the destigmatization of mental health and break down the negative connotations surrounding mental illness. Her work promotes the normalization of mental health and the sharing of one's own story, allowing others to reach out and finally have a chance to talk about their experiences.
Gillespie received her BFA in 2018 from Sonoma State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude and with the award of Department Distinction. She is currently a second-year MFA candidate at the Rinehart School of Sculpture at MICA and was recently awarded the Perna Krick' 31 and Reuben Kramer '32 Fellowship. Along with permanent public work residing in Northern California, Gillespie's work has been exhibited nationally and sits in private collections in San Francisco, Napa Valley, Sonoma, and Baltimore. She recently performed at the 2019 LA Art Show with an ensemble of artist survivors in the performance, and now award-winning short film, 'Survivor! Share Your 98 Second Story. Gillespie remains active in the greater community, partnering with NEDA (The National Eating Disorder Association), volunteering as a crisis counselor for Crisis Text Line, and working at the nonprofit organization The Buddy Foundation of Maryland.
