Eli K.

Eli was a student at the Visual Art Institute from kindergarten through highschool. They received the National Scholastic Art & Writing Award for college, and went on to study Painting at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence. When asked about their time at VAI, Eli spoke fondly of childhood classes, remembering the way Bruce Robertson (executive director) taught them how to draw the basic shapes of a Shrek figurine. Eli also said that a comic book class they attended at VAI during high school was an encouraging place where their artistic voice had a chance to develop more clearly. In addition to taking classes, Eli also worked at VAI as a 16 & 17 year old. The COVID-19 pandemic required Eli to take a year off from school. In the summer of 2020, Eli was awarded the Maharam Fellowship and worked on a large project with Wasatch Community Gardens in Salt Lake City. They will be moving back to Providence to finish a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting at RISD in Fall 2021. Eli is currently working on a solo exhibition for SLC’s Finch Lane Gallery coming up in Summer 2022.