Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Lavon.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
This is a tough question. There are so many places I could start. Like when I realized I would grow up to be a creative. Or the day I discovered a love printmaking. Decisions decisions. This is a pretty important story so let’s start at the beginning.
My parents met in art class in High School. So is it any surprise that I would become a creative? LOL.
I grew up with meager accommodations so I worked with what I had. Pencil & paper mostly. From there, I moved onto acrylic paint, then a tattoo artist apprenticeship, then to attain an Undergraduate degree at Kendall College of Art & Design. I left college with a B.F.A. in printmaking & graphic design in 2009 then moved back to my hometown Lansing, MI to start my business, Kimberly Lavon INK.
My shop had a different name back then. (8/2 creative, named after an etching press pressure.) I shared a big beautiful studio with a painter, ceramicist & a special effects makeup artist. Sadly, due to gentrification, my studio mates & I found ourselves seeking a new location out of the blue. The building owners rent tripled overnight so we were all forced to leave within a few days of getting the notice. Thankfully, I was was able to find a new affordable space in the same neighborhood (Old Town, Lansing, MI) & moved in that same day. Bad luck followed me to my new space and this time my shop was taken by fire. As I watched my life’s work go up in flames, I carefully thought about what to do next. I decided to move the remains of my studio into my tiny apartment and re-group.
After a year and several months, it was time to find a new spot. I was visiting a friend at his screen printing business in downtown East Lansing, MI. As I walked up the stairs, I saw a HUGE for rent sign. I thought because of the killer location & duration of the surrounding businesses. It would be way out of my price range. I was shocked to find it reasonably priced & PERFECT for my new studio. I rented it the same day & begun to plan the grand re-re-opening. The shop was well received by the community. I was even able to get the Mayor there for the opening. I was so happy. I held classes, opened an art gallery, even did some private custom creations for some really incredible clients. Some of my favorites were:
• Lululemon
• Detroit institute of art
• The Southern Gallery (printmaking exhibit with Shepard Fairey.)
I grew out of my adorable little space & got a bigger unit down the hall by the end of the year. I had a steady list of festivals, client work & exhibitions in the works that spanned years. It was truly incredible.
Like other small business owners, there were some ups & downs. I found myself at a crossroads & needed to switch it up. I had to make a change to grow the business & myself. Thats when I decided that graduate school was the logical next step. So I packed up my life, my new boyfriend at the time, now my fiancé, my heart (the shop) & my cat Stella. We moved to Atlanta in fall 2018.
I’ve had it rough for a very long time. Thankfully some really incredible people stuck by me helped me keep moving forward and never stopped believing in me. I gotta give a shout out to: my mentor, Barb my guy, Andy and my amazing friends. You know who you are! <3
Has it been a smooth road?
If you deem “smooth” as a road full of potholes & dead ends then, yes! My journey has been super easy. JK. My path has been ANYTHING but smooth. As obstacles & challenges go, I’ve had more than my share of them all. I’ve decided the best way to convey the most difficult is by a little list. Here are some of the highlights!
• Two near fatal car accidents (I wasn’t driving for the record.)
• Age/gender/race discrimination (I’m a proud chicana.)
• Loss of my studio not once but thrice.
• I grew up poor.
• I’m the black sheep pf my immediate family AND both extended families.
• Some of my most favorite & irreplaceable pieces were stolen at a major event.
• Three attempted break-ins at my new home. (I was there alone every time it happened)
Thankfully, I see these hiccups as opportunities to learn & grow, though I can’t say the majority who have been through what I have can say the same thing. I’m no “delicate flower” #10poundsOfDynamiteInA5pound bag. So being able to deal with everything in the best way possible was the only easy thing about it all. That is exactly why I am sharing my story in hopes of inspiring others in the same situation to work with what you’ve got & keep moving forward! It may not be easy but it WILL be worth it. Just think: If it didn’t end well then it’s not over! You will get your happy ending. 🙂
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kimberly Lavon INK story. Tell us more about the business.
My company is called Kimberly Lavon INK, print & design studio. At the moment, I specialize in fine art printmaking and graphic design.
My shop and I are in transition as we speak! I am working towards my M.A. in advertising at SCAD Atlanta so I plan to implement all that I am learning here into the business. (I graduate in Fall 2020.)
Where it’s all going, I’m not yet sure. I may retain aspects of printmaking in the revamp or do a complete 180. It’s all about diversity in application of creative products & new uncharted territory! The complete transformation is planned to be completed before by the end of the year so I’ll be sure to post and tweet and all the other things about it the moment It’s ready. #excited
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I fell in love with motion media over the summer. So now, having that in my tool belt, and combining it with all the other mediums I love (printmaking, illustration, video, etc.) I see big shifts in what is possible as a creative. Collaborations between the most unlikely mediums, people & work. Spectacular indie films and music and out-of-home experiences. It’s going to be epic!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 5174899021
- Email: kimberlylavon@icloud.com
- Instagram: @kimberlylavonink
- Facebook: KimberlyLavonINK
- Twitter: kimberlylavon
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtvic1XrBdL0e7NU-MqdVLQ?view_as=subscriber
Image Credit:
#CarbonStories, #MMitchellPhoto, #KimberlyLavonINK
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
