About Keeli Engel Edwards

Artist · Illustrator · Storyteller

MFA Painting, Edinburgh College of Art

BA Studio Art, Bethel University

I’ve always loved creating art with meaning. 

 

I’m inspired by untouched landscapes, water, natural lighting, and the deep impact such environments make on human relationships.

 

A few years ago, I began to capture the magical moments of spending time with family in nature. I gathered painted images and words together into a story, and that project grew into an illustrated book, Paddle to the Moon. Using a style of photo illustration that combines realism and fantasy, the story features a mother and daughter on a quest to paddle to the moon while riding in a kayak at nightfall.

 

Growing up along a national scenic waterway developed my deep appreciation for being outdoors. Water has been a continuing theme in my artwork, from multimedia installations to photography and painting, throughout my career.

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Grants

2018  Region 5 Development Grant

2017  Calvin Institute Grant

Residencies

2011 Vermont Studio Center

Commissions

2024 Advent Sound Installation, Midlothian, Virginia

2024 Ash Wednesday Interactive Installation, Midlothian, Virginia

2023 Crestwood Cross Painting, Midlothian, Virginia

2017 First Presbyterian Church, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Public Art/Installations

2026 Sensory Book Readings, Celebrate Reading Week, Midlothian, Virginia

2024 Immersive Book Reading, Midlothian, Virginia

2024 The Gallery, Crestwood Midlothian, Virginia

2019  Bell Tower, St. Cloud, Minnesota

2018  Sprout, Little Falls, Minnesota

2017 First Presbyterian Church, St. Cloud, Minnesota

2011 Gihon River, Johnson, Vermont

2005 Deutzer Bruecke, Cologne, Germany

Permanent Collections

2017 Baptism and Communion Sacramental Art, St. Cloud, Minnesota

2011 St. Martin-in the-Fields Anglican Church, Toronto, Ontario

2007 Edinburgh International Conference Center, Edinburgh, Scotland

Exhibitions

2022 Gather Virtual Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

2020 Rockstar Studios, Chicago, Illinois

2019 Great River Arts, Little Falls, Minnesota

2011 Signa Vitae, University of Toronto, Ontario

2010 Refresh Conference, Wycliffe College, Toronto, Ontario

2007 Scottish National Poetry Library, Scotland

2006 St. Paul Art Crawl, St. Paul, Minnesota

2006 Edinburgh International Conference Center, Edinburgh, Scotland

2005 Waterworks and Electric Company, Edinburgh, Scotland

2005 Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland

2003 Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland

2001 Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota