✶ Nice to meet you ✶

I’m Kelly, an independent artist and designer based in Charlotte, NC.  

I earned my B.F.A in Graphic Design at UNC Charlotte. Currently, I'm a designer at Wray Ward, where I bring ingenuity to creative ad campaigns and craft visual identities and packaging for various brands. Alongside this, I design music posters and album covers, which you can check out here. My interest in crate-digging for funky album artwork at record stores drives me to create visually compelling narratives that infuse bold typography and vibrant colors.

Outside of the visual arts, I spend my time trying locally roasted coffee, going mountain biking, and practicing Spanish.

If you are interested in freelance or future project collaboration, reach out!
email: kelly.lizgilbert@gmail.com

Photo by Lewis Dameron

✶ Artist Statement ✶

My work focuses on people in moments of solitude, delving into the intricate layers of human consciousness and the ever-evolving nature of the human condition. I construct dreamlike spaces beyond reality that orbit themes of introspection, identity, and the impermanence of the world. I depict individuals in vibrant, surreal atmospheres to illuminate inner thoughts and experiences, shaping perception of the world. Tinted with hazy pastel colors, these moments transcend reality and give form to the landscape of human emotion. I draw influence from the illustrational approach of Paul Cadmus and the philosophical writing of Rainer Maria Rilke while exploring ideas about personhood and solitude.

Group Exhibitions
2024 Generations: 60 Years - 21 Conversations, Rowe Side Gallery, UNC Charlotte
2024 Summer Crush, Petra's, Charlotte, NC
2024 Flash Art Show, Overcash Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2023 Queen City Zine Fest, McColl Center, Charlotte, NC
2023 Nova Literary-Arts Magazine Exhibition, Popp Martin Gallery, UNC Charlotte
2022 Mode Graphic Design BFA Exhibition, Lambla Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2022 UNCC Juried Art Exhibition, Rowe Side Gallery, UNC Charlotte. Juror: D Rosen
2021 Novant Student Show, Novant Health SouthPark Family, Charlotte NC
2021 UNCC Juried Art Exhibition, Rowe Side Gallery, UNC Charlotte. Juror: Dr. Emily Stamey, Curator and Head of Exhibitions at the Weatherspoon Art Museum
2021 Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine Exhibition, Popp Martin Gallery, UNC Charlotte
2021 Student Art Show, Popp Martin Gallery, UNC Charlotte


Accolades
AAF Award District 3 — Gold Addy
American Advertising Federation Charlotte 2023
“Doors that Make a Statement” - Creative Campaign for Clopay by Wray Ward

American Advertising Federation Charlotte 2023
“Ecofuge” - Integrated Brand Identity Campaign

American Advertising Federation Charlotte 2023
“Ecofuge” - Integrated Brand Identity Campaign

Phi Beta Kappa — Member/Recipient
Phi Beta Kappa Society 2022
Nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society, recognizing excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.

Best of Show — Literary Arts Magazine
Associated College Press 2021
Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine Volume 52

Best of Show — Literary Magazine
North Carolina College Media Association 2021
Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine Volume 52

Publications
(TBD) Generations: 60 Years – 21 Conversations by Dr. Jim Frakes
2023 Nova Literary-Arts Magazine Volume 54
2021 30 North Literary Magazine Volume 17
2021 Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine Volume 52
2020 Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine Volume 51

Interviews/Speaking Engagements
2024 Generations: 60 years – 21 conversations Artist Profile
2024 We Rock Charlotte — Logo Design Workshop — Lead Instructor
2024 Wray Ward - Nourish Up Rebrand — Interviewee
2024 Niner Times — Nova Rebrand — Interviewee
2023 UNCC Designer Alumni Panel — Speaker
2022 UNCC Designer Alumni Panel — Speaker