Kim V Abeles

Kim Abeles

Fellowship In Fine Arts

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Location:

821 Traction Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Industry:

Higher Education

Work:

Education:

Skills:

Art
Visual Arts
Museums
Painting
Public Art
Photography
Art Education
Editing
Public Speaking
Galleries
Drawing
Art History
Curating
Fine Art
Contemporary Art
Newsletters
Sculpture
Printmaking
Graphic Design
Studio Art
Digital Photography
Fine Art Photography
Oil Painting
Video Editing
Photoshop
Art Exhibitions
Grant Writing
Watercolor
Portraits
Creative Writing
Film Production
Indesign
Adobe Creative Suite
Illustration
Film
Illustrator
Arts Administration

Interests:

Everything

Awards:

Public Art for Anderson-Munger YMCA, LA
Community Redevelopment Agency
“Shared Skies” speaks to the connections between the global, the local and the personal. As people look toward the sky each morning, through the day or each night, the sky speaks to their personal and local concerns. In a global sense, we observe the effects of our environmental decisions and find community through a seamless sky. “Shared Skies” photographs are being collected through four situations: my own journeys, artists who participate as they travel, international friends through social media, and some purchased from photographers through stock photo sites. Each sky is identified with the specific location and the person who took the photograph. For this ongoing series, there are currently sky photographs from 38 countries and all the continents. From the Salt Flats of Bolivia to Grand Forks in the U.S., and Maasai Mara, Kenya to Pine Ridge, Oglala Sioux Tribe, our skies portray the connected parts of our place on this earth.
Public Art for King Blvd. Gateway, LA
Percent-for-Art funds administered by the LA Dept of Cultural Affairs
"Walk a mile in my shoes" is a public artwork for the dual sites that are gateways to the community along the Rodeo Road axis. The concept for the space takes into account the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd at its intersection with Rodeo Road. The idea also emphasizes the relevance of green space and community spirit for the betterment of our urban life. The idea for this artwork was inspired by a wish to walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. and those who walked in solidarity for the civil rights movement. Walk a mile in my shoes is a variation on the saying, "You can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes." The saying is American Indian, with variations known in other cultures also. Upon researching to find a photograph of Martin Luther King’s shoes as source material for this project, I came across a profound collection of shoes, belonging to members of the peace marches, collected by Xernona Clayton who is Founder of the Trumpet Awards Foundation. The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame was created by her foundation in partnership with the National Park Service in Atlanta, and features the footstep impressions of civil and human rights leaders. The idea for the public artwork at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Rodeo Road includes tiles with photographs of the shoes, and a bronze replica of Dr. King’s shoes. The site at Rodeo and Jefferson continues with the theme of inspiration, empathy and “walking” as forward movement. Here, the photographic tiles include shoes belonging to local leaders in Los Angeles who have been important to our many communities. At this location, is a bronze replica of a second pair of shoes – work boots - that Dr. King wore during the marches. This site provides an opportunity to talk about the relationship between activism and the many forms of of community building that are possible for each of us.
Activity book and health cards for T.H.E. Clinic, LA
Funded by Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Good Works Foundation, and the Green Foundation.
Abeles authored and illustrated the "Environmental Activity Book" (funded by the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Dept.,1995) that describes the process and other environmental/art projects for families. In 2012, she completed another family activity book and health cards about holistic living and nutrition. "Here I am—Aquí estoy" is a multi-lingual activity book for kids and families at T.H.E. Clinic in Los Angeles. It is designed so that the younger kids have activities on one side of the book, while the teen or adult reads about the content on the opposite page along with their own puzzles and games. "Health Cards" are in in the form of tarot cards with a design that is reminiscent of Abeles' "HIV/AIDS Tarot" (LA Dept. of Cultural Affairs, 1992).