Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla G. Coleman.
Hi Kayla G., we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the daughter of an immigrant, I was supposed to study medicine, and so I was pre-med until I took a survey course in art history to fulfill a general education requirement. I grew up going to museums and was exposed to the arts so I always had an interest. From taking that course, I knew it was important to me and I cared much more for the arts than the pursuit of a medical career. I moved back home to New York City and I pursued an art education, with a few detours along the way. I also pursued photography, something I took an interest in, as I wanted to create imagery of my own. I worked in the industry as I pursued my education, and I was taking internships at galleries and museums while also teaching. After stints at MoMA PS1, Studio Museum in Harlem, WhiteBox, and BronxArtSpace, I took a position with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs as their deputy director of their Percent for Art program, curating and commissioning public art in NYC’s public school system, which is the largest school system in the country. Although I loved working with the City of New York, I felt removed from my practice as a cultural organizer and activist. I found my way back into nonprofits here in Raleigh, NC and now I am the Executive Director of VAE Raleigh.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth role at all! It can be hard to carve a place out for yourself in the world where you are often the only person that looks like you in the room. I hated academia, solely because I felt isolated as a Black art historian with an interest in Blackness. My interests were largely considered outsider, but I was forced to learn about every white artist that ever put a brush to canvas. Living in this helped inform my practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion for all, so I am glad I was able to take something from that experience and pay it forward as an arts administrator.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in modern and contemporary art by Black artists in the United States and the Caribbean. I am known for doing work that is rooted in topics that include access, post-colonialism, and the intersections of marginalization. I am most proud of the work I do that helps other people. If I can provide access or create equitable opportunities for people who need them most, then that makes me feel successful.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I believe that one must be willing to take risks in order to have the life you truly want. My first major risk was betting on myself and moving back to NYC from college in Virginia, without the degrees I was supposed to get. I did something that no one in my family supported me doing and it was terrifying feeling alone like that, but it was also freeing to no longer be held to expectations that don’t suit me. Relocation has always been my big risk, I did a brief stint in Germany, working in my photographic practice and I didn’t tell a soul I was going or how long I would be there. Being able to see things through while also being willing to pivot when necessary will always make risk-taking worthwhile.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/kaylagcoleman
- Other: linktr.ee/kaylagcoleman
