Lively-Pure-Bright-Fame is the literal interpretation of my given name; Kelley Catherine Roberts. It provided me with a simple way to distinguish myself as an artist and share my work online.

At about 5 years old I started selling art, along with my sister at what we called the Riverside Shop. At the corner of a rock wall in our yard we offered objects with artistic decorations like shells, rocks and wood that we collected from the river bank and beaches nearby. We’d save money through summer to spend at the fair in the fall. Early on I learned to be resourceful and entrepreneurial. I believe early experiences like these help prepare me for a future merging business sense with artistic inspiration.

In grade school, I was recognized for my artistic talent and was placed in a program for gifted children. In junior high, I started winning awards for the art I as making, taking best in show at the Puyallup Fair’s Jr./Sr. High school art show and having my work featured on the poster for the school play. During this period I learned to appreciate having time in the studio, thanks to my arts teacher, staying hours after school to work on projects.

After completing high school I when to work in art supply. I became a paper specialist, a fine arts merchandiser, a retail supervisor. Then, in the early 2000’s I managed customer service, sales and order fulfillment for a San Francisco Bay Area online art supply wholesaler.

When I was able to apply for financial aid I enrolled in college and decided to study Museum and Gallery Operations. For an assignment in my gallery viewing lab I visited a recently opened shop. The following week I began my first job as a gallery assistant and a picture framer. The owner of that gallery, James Ray Kelly, became a mentor and taught me all the aspects of running the small business he built. I watched Kelly stopped his work to welcome every visitor who came through the doors. He invited visitors to engaging with the art through story-telling and curated a community of art lovers who will never forget him.

memorial at the Enumclaw Trailhead

When he was diagnosed with stage four cancer I managed the business through his illness and death, then for his widow while she attempted to sell the shop. I am proud of the skills that I developed in custom design, art handling and business management while working with Kelly and of the resiliency I demonstrated during that stressful, demanding time.

I went on to work for other galleries gaining experience in the arts industry and broadening my a perspective on the challenges creative entrepreneurs face. See my work history for more details. I saw artists and small business owners struggle with with finance and operations. So, I returned to college determined to learn skills I hoped to use to deliver business solutions and analytical tools for artists, art supply wholesalers, manufacturers, creative entrepreneurs, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies.

While working towards my Bachelor’s degree, I learned to appreciate the research process and the importance of forming meaningful research questions which lead to actionable insights that aid leaders with strategic planning. I completed a focus in entrepreneurship working on a several team projects where we developed an executive summary, financial statements and presented our findings.  During this time I served as VP of Development for the my universities Innovation and Entrepreneurship Club. Before leaving I developed a new program inviting students from across disciplines to serve as club ambassadors and secured funding to launch the program. I also completed a minor in Arts Management to round out my education addressing issues specific to not-for-profit organizations and government entities. learn more about my educational experience by visiting my Academics page.

 With year of experience working and completing a significant portion of my course work I transferred to the university understanding that it was time for me to begin volunteer work. I started by serving as an event volunteer with the campus art museum. I served as Artist Ambassador for the city’s mural project. Today I serve as a community gardener  and continue providing public service through community art projects and volunteering with a local student arts program. See my Public Service page for specifics.

See my Projects page for more of my work.