Inside The Bright, Bold World of Visual Artist Kacy Salkeld
For visual artist Kacy Salkeld, there’s no such thing as a typical day in the studio. Her practice moves easily between painting, collage, and sculpture, with projects that range from landscapes to bold abstracts. Each piece is more vibrant than the last.
At the National accessArts Centre (NaAC), Kacy spends her time surrounded by fellow artists and facilitators in a space that’s filled with possibility. “It feels awesome,” she says. “It makes me feel happy that I get to be with other people.”
A Spark Ignited at the NaAC
From Kacy’s very first session at the NaAC over five years ago, a spark was lit. She began experimenting with materials she had never used before—clay, textiles, mixed media—and embraced new techniques with an open mind and fearless attitude. Each week, she returned to the studio ready to create.
“She just kept going,” recalls Kacy’s mom, Kim Collins. “She wanted to try everything. Sculpture, pottery, painting, quilting…there was this drive in her I hadn’t seen before. The more she learned, the more she wanted to learn.”
The studio environment played a critical role, says Kim. At the NaAC, Kacy is supported as a peer, not a participant. “There’s no one telling her what to do,” Kim says. “She works alongside artists and facilitators as an equal, and that distinction has helped her grow her practice. She’s learning to collaborate with other adults as opposed to being told what to do by other adults.”
Bright, Bold, and Unapologetically Kacy
Kacy’s work has been exhibited at the Leighton Arts Centre, the Bow, and the GRAND. She beams when talking about one piece in particular: a six-foot-tall self-portrait titled She’s Looking Fine and Killing It. With bright colours and bold strokes, the painting is instantly recognizable to those who know her. “They think, ‘that’s Kacy for sure,’” she laughs.
At home, she has a craft room-turned-studio that’s now overflowing with supplies and projects inspired by her work at the NaAC. It’s where she makes cards and paintings for friends and loved ones. Her gifts, like her exhibitions, allow her to share her art with others.
“It makes me feel really proud that I can show other people my art,” she says. “And I want other people to feel proud of me too, because of all the colour and texture I put into my art and my paintings and stuff.”
Building a Future in the Arts
Kacy’s ambitions are as colourful as her canvases. She’s eager to keep building her career and wants to sell her work at markets. “It would make me feel really happy and make me proud of myself to do that,” she says.
After years of experimenting with new mediums and exhibiting her works, Kacy has learned something essential about the artistic process—something she shares with a smile: “Practice doesn’t make perfect… it makes a masterpiece.”
Her advice to anyone just starting out at the NaAC is simple and heartfelt: “It’s a good place to be. The staff are nice. They will help you with any projects that you want to do,” she says. And if someone is feeling nervous to get started? “Just take your time. It’ll come to you.”
With each new piece, Kacy continues to prove what her self-portrait declares: she’s looking fine and killing it.
Want to support more artists like Kacy? Learn how your support helps fuel possibilities at the NaAC.
