
Pull Quote
My paintings present the viewer with a single scene from a story. When a scene is removed from its context, we are left to fill in the gaps.

Biography
KERRA TAYLOR received her BFA and minor in art history from Missouri State University in 2012. She earned her MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2016. She has two current bodies of work which are representational, narrative-based paintings.
Kerra has exhibited her work in juried shows such as the No Dead Artists exhibition at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans, where she has been awarded a solo show. Dr. Samuel Peralta curated her artwork into “Chronicles of a Future Foretold” exhibition at 33 Contemporary Gallery in Chicago. She has been published in New American Paintings MFA editions #117 and #129. She has also been featured in several PoetsArtists publications and online exclusives on Artsy via Zhou B Art Center. Two of her paintings are in the 21 C Museum Hotels collection.
She currently teaches beginning and intermediate drawing courses at Missouri State University.

Artist Statement
Stories are told through many mediums. My work exploits the narrative potential of painting. A painting, however, cannot encompass the entirety of a narrative, but it can imply a narrative. It functions more like a single scene from the story rather than the whole story. When we take a scene out of context, we are left to fill in the gaps. For every person, for every story, their interpretation of the scene will be unique. In this manner, I allow room for the viewer to enter into my paintings and complete the stories with their own past experiences.
I playfully fabricate memories with my spouse, parents, siblings, and in-laws, as I fill in the holes caused by the loss of stories. I take into consideration the various personalities, quirks, and typical environments that my relatives and I live in. My paintings are embellishments of personal experiences with family. By putting them in these normal settings with such unusual circumstances, I create my own stories, both familiar and fantastic at the same time. It is in these extraordinary situations that we find the stories that are more worth telling.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
2016 Master of Fine Arts, Painting, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
2012 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
2006 General Studies, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019 Playfully Serious, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, New Orleans, LA
2018 The Falsehood of Memories, Arts Council of Southeast Missouri Gallery, Cape Girardeau, MO
2017 Specious Recollections, Spiva Art Gallery, Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO
The Theatrics of Storytelling, East Central College Art Gallery, East Central Community College, Union, MO
Constructed Memories, C-Street Gallery, Drury University, Springfield, MO
2016 Retelling the Untold, University Museum, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
2013 Collective Memories of Home, Vergette Gallery, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018 22nd Annual No Dead Artists, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, New Orleans, LA. Jurors: CCH Pounder, Rene Paul
Barilleaux, and Francis H Williams.
Real People, Old Courthouse, Arts Center, Woodstock, IL. Juror: John Pitman Weber
Chronicles of a Future Untold, Poets and Artists, Zhou B Art Center, NXT Art Projects/ 33
Contemporary Gallery, Chicago, IL, Curated by Samuel Peralta and Director Sergio Gomez
Exploration of Light, Vanessa Lacy Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2017 Art at the Center Exhibition, Tomohawk Ridge Community Center Gallery, Overland Park, KS, juried by
David Beal
At The Walker Open Exhibition, Walker Art Gallery, Garnet, KS, juried by Kim Casebeer
Personal Space, Art Saint Louis Gallery, St. Louis, MO, juried by Cbabi Bayoc & Ruth Reese
Silver Lining, Expose Art House, Montgomery, AL, curated by Chintia Kirana.
2016 Regional Juried Exhibition, Arts Council of Southeast Missouri Gallery, Cape Girardeau, MO, juried by
Madeleine Marie LeMieux
The Old Orchard Gallery, Webster Groves, MO, juried by William Morris, video artist, graduate of the Art
Institute of Chicago and Washington University
2015 Across Divides: International Art and Design High Education Exchange Exhibition, Beijing Normal University
Art Gallery, Beijing, China