“Artists can illuminate the moral issues of our time by awakening a deeper, more distinct understanding of social, political and cultural injustices”
- Kelly Parks Snider
As an artist, I explore contemporary social, cultural and political issues. Through my words and art, I attempt to create change.My hope is that my work will stimulate thought and open eyes and hearts to our place in the world. I believe art gives our lives the focus that it desperately needs bring us face to face with ourselves. It prompts us to ask questions about the world that surrounds us, bringing us face-to-face with ourselves. This is where change begins. It seems that we live in a time when people commonly and unfortunately look past their basic values. My art is my reaction to that.
AWARDS
2022 Madison Arts Commission
2022 Wisconsin Arts Board
2022 The Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission
2022 John W. Thompson and Jane A Bartell Charitable Foundation
2017 The Brico Fund
2015 The Brico Fund
2015 The Wisconsin Arts, Humanities and Historical Preservation Grant
2014 The Kennedy Center's Partner is Arts Integration Education, University Of Wisconsin Whitewater
2013 Freda B. Runyon Foundation / El Dorado, CA
2013 Sr. Marcella Leadership Award / Omaha, Nebraska
2010 University of Wisconsin School of Business Women Executive Leadership Summit 2010 women leadership recipient
2009 Best Buy@15 Change Exchange Partner
2009 Herzfeld Foundation
2009 Wisconsin Arts education Concerned Citizen of the Arts award 2008 Uniquely ME! Girl Scout Self-Esteem Program grant
2008 Quixote Foundation
2007 Quixote Foundation
2006 J.J. Keller Foundation
2006 Quixote Foundation
2006 Ford Foundation
2004 Wisconsin Arts Board
PRESS
A Place to Heal, Reflect, Gayle Worland, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wisconsin. June 12, 2022
Pandemic Inspires Prints and Poetry, Gwen Rice, The Cap Times, Madison, Wisconsin. July 20, 2022 Connecting Art to Social Justice, Gayle Wordland, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wisconsin November 8, 2015.
Artists Corner: Kelly Parks Snider: Artfully Empowering Young Women, Brava, June 2013.
Just Read It by Kelly Parks Snider, Wisconsin State Journal, May 15 2013.
Take Back Beauty by Olivia Steger, New Moon Magazine, May 2012
Book Review: Artist and Activist Kelly Parks Snider Launches a New Children’s Book: Zilly -review by Laura Lane, wordsbylaura.com.
Art Meets Activism, Two Moms Prove a Little Creativity Goes a Long Way in Empowering Teen Girls by Stephanie Emma Pfeffer, Family Circle Magazine, November 2011 Issue.
Changing What It Means to Be a Girl, by Doug Moe, Wisconsin State Journal, Oct. 10, 2011.
Wisconsin Academy Member Profile on Project Girl Co-creator Kelly Parks Snider, Wisconsin People & Ideas, the magazine of the wisconsin academy of sciences, arts and letters, Fall 2011 Issue.
Little women: How consumer culture is forcing girls to grow up too fast, US Catholic Article, April 2, 2012
Going your own way :Zilly reinforces an important concept by Sari Judge, Isthmus, Madison, WI, April 12, 2012
Girls challenge media's message by A. David Dahmer, The Madison Times, June 16, 2010.
How Can We Use the Media to Gift without Buying, Shaping Youth Beta Blog, Dec. 10, 2011 Project Girl educates adolescents to recognize advertising manipulation, The Pirate Tree, Dec. 16, 2011 by annange
Book Review: Zilly, a Modern Day Fable by Kelly Parks Snider review by Jessi Lusardi, Hardy Girls Healthy Women.
Project Girl co-founder to bring strong message by Julie Gilkay, The Post Crescent, April. 22, 2012
Teaching the Next Generation to Be Critical Consumers through Project Girl, Mollie Shambeau, Brava Magazine, Oct 2009.
Art Exhibit gives teen girls canvas for expression, Dani McClain, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI, October 24, 2009.
Girl Power Strikes Back, Gail Rosenbum, Star Tribune/Minneapolis/St. Paul, June 5, 2008.
Walker Art Center Magazine, 2008
Project Girl, Renee Wahlen Tillema, Inspire Magazine, January 2008, published by: Niche Publications, Inc.
You Go, Girl, Beaver Dam Daily Citizen, January 22, 2008.
Summer Quarterly 2007, Lyn Mikel Brown, Ph.D.
Artists Aim to Make Girls Media Savvy, Duluth News Tribune, April 2007.
Programs Help Girls Cut Tension, Capital Times, March 2007.
Project Girl: A Catalyst for Social Change, Martin Scanlan Ph.D., Wisconsin People & Ideas, Summer 2007, published by Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters.
Girls and Modern Messages, Jacob Kushner, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, WI, March 3, 2007.
Project Girl, Susan Troller, Capital Times, Madison, WI, January 11, 2007.
Girls in Pop Culture, Joan Fischer, Wisconsin People & Ideas, Winter 2007, published by Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
Countering Marketers’ Messages to Nation’s Girls, Margaret Krome, Capital Times, Madison, WI, March 2, 2007.
Inspired Interiors, Jennifer Garrett, Madison Magazine, September 2007, published by Madison Magazine.
Inspire Magazine, September 2007, published by: Niche Publications, Inc.
Local Arts Center to Open Ag Women-Inspired Show, Special to Daily News, Norfolk Daily News, Norfolk, NE, August 3, 2006.
Rural Women, Susan Troller, Capital Times, Madison, WI, August 9, 2005.
Wisconsin Academy Review, Summer 2000, published by Wisconsin Academy Sciences, Arts and Letters.
Roundtree Gallery art exhibit to honor Rural Women, Platteville Journal, Platteville, Wisconsin.
Speaking Engagements
Activism is the foundation for all of Kelly’s endeavors. Her objective is to educate communities about targeted issues in the hopes of shaking up the status quo, creating a catalyst, examining the questions that shape and inspire all of us. Kelly lectures nationally about art and activism and serves in artist-in-residence programs for and produces workshops for all ages. Contact Kelly Parks Snider for further information.
2022 Keynote Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, Wisconsin
2022 Keynote Arts + Literature Laboratory, Madison Wisconsin
2022 Keynote YWCA Circle of Women: I Show Up, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2019 Keynote Planned Parenthood: A Dialogue for All, Milwaukee, Appleton and Madison Wisconsin
2019 Diversity and Inclusion workshop League of Women Voters Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2018 Art + Literature Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin
2018 Racial Justice Summit YWCA: Reclaiming Our Story, Madison, Wisconsin
2018 International Women’s Day Celebration. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2017 Stiemke Studio/ Milwaukee Reparatory Theatre, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2017 River Art Center Gallery, Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin
2015 Roberta Fiskum Gallery, White Water, Wisconsin 2015 Black Lives Matter Artist in Residency at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
2012 Wisconsin Book Festival
2012 Fox Cities Book Festival
2012 Madison Children’s Museum
2010 Keynote Aestrella Mountain College, Avondale, Az2010 Writers writing about: Self Empowerment / Mount Mary College
2010 Spark Summit Hunter College / New York City, New York
2010 Reclaiming Girlhood, University Of Wisconsin, La Crosse, Wisconsin2008
2009 Walker Art Center / Minneapolis, Minnesota
2008 Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin2008 Colby College/Hardy Girls / Waterville, Maine
2008 Walker Art Center/Women with a vision: Past and Present Minneapolis, Minnesota
2008 Perpich Center for Arts Education / Minneapolis, Minnesota 2008 University of Wisconsin Art Department / Madison, Wisconsin
2008 Edgewood High School / Madison, Wisconsin 2008 Alverno College / Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2008 Intermedia Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
2008 Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota