Kelli Scott Kelley, professor of painting & drawing at the LSU School of Art, has been awarded the 2014 Michael Crespo Visual Artist Fellowship, administered through the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. The $5,000 fellowship is intended to recognize the quality and breadth of work by a visual artist who has established his or her personal and professional lives as long-time contributing members of the Baton Rouge community.

Established in 2011 by long-time Baton Rouge arts supporter Cary Saurage and the late Derek Gordon, former CEO of the Arts Council, the fellowship is named to commemorate the life, work, and dedication of Michael Crespo, internationally recognized painter and professor at the LSU School of Art for nearly 40 years. Crespo maintained an exceptional professional career while staying rooted in the Baton Rouge community and was beloved for putting his students first and selflessly sharing with them his advice and expertise.

Recently promoted to full professor, Kelley has been teaching art at LSU 14 years. Her paintings have been exhibited in many venues including the Mesic Ve Dne Gallerie in Czeske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Bangalore University in India; the Contemporary Arts Museum and the Hooks-Epstein Gallery in Houston, Texas; the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art in Colorado; and Taylor Bercier Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kelley’s book, Accalia and the Swamp Monster was published by LSU Press in April 2014. The artwork in the book—50 mixed-media works painted and drawn on repurposed antique linens—will be exhibited in a solo show at the LSU Museum of Art. The exhibition, Accalia and the Swamp Monster: Works by Kelli Scott Kelley will open August 22, 2014, and be on view through February 15, 2015.

Visit acgbr.com for more information about the Michael Crespo Visual Artist Fellowship and lsumoa.org for more information about Kelley’s upcoming exhibition at the LSU Museum of Art.