news & highlights
June 2020 | Number 2
Industry Spotlight: Visual Arts
Hallelujah 29 in h porcelain lace velvet glass beads 2020 debut at the American Craft Council show in Baltimore
Hallelujah, 29in h., porcelain, lace, velvet, glass beads - 2020
Debut at the American Craft Council show, Baltimore, MD
Backyard Barber Shop 40in x 30in acrylic on canvas 2019 Cousin Clifford the day before the wedding
Backyard Barber Shop 40in x 30in acrylic on canvas - 2019
Cousin Clifford the day before the wedding
Janet II 40inx30in acrylic on canvas 2016 Purchased in 2020 by the new Joint Sciences Center in Camden NJ as part of their permanent collection
Janet II 40in x 30in acrylic on canvas - 2016
Purchased in 2020 by the new Joint Sciences Center in Camden NJ as part of their permanent collection
Stagecoach Mary 60x40 acrylic on canvas 2019 Mary Fields first African American female mail carrier in the American West
Stagecoach Mary 60in x 40in acrylic on canvas 2019
Mary Fields, a.k.a., Stagecoach Mary, was the first African American female mail carrier in the American West
Photo courtesy of A. Fennel
A Woman in Her Own Right
Kimberly Camp began her career as a professional artist over 50 years ago. Since then, her paintings and dolls have been shown throughout the US in over 100 solo and group exhibitions. Her list of exhibitions is extensive, including the American Craft Museum, Smithsonian Institution, International Sculpture Center, University of Michigan, the Hand Workshop, Sawtooth Center for the Visual Arts, CRT Craftery Gallery and Manchester Craftsman’s Guild.

Her work has been prominently featured in traveling exhibitions including “Spirit of the Cloth: African American Quilters”, for the Craftery Gallery; “Touch: Beyond the Visual”, for the Arlington Art Center, VA; and “Uncommon Beauty in Common Objects” for the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Ohio. In February 2020, Camp’s dolls debuted at the prestigious American Craft Council show, where she received the Award of Excellence: Craft Makes Us Human.

Camp’s workshops and residencies include the Baltimore Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Longwood Gardens, the Smithsonian Institution, the African American Museum Philadelphia, and Indiana University, Pennsylvania. Her paintings and dolls are in the collections of Anne Wollman, Faith Ringgold, Judith Jamison, the Reader’s Digest, Manchester Craftsman’s Guild and the J.B. Speed Art Museum. Additionally, she has been featured in Essence, Nouvel Objet, the New York Times, FiberArts, National Geographic World, the Village Voice and Smithsonian.

Camp has served internationally as a panelist and speaker for the National Black Arts Festival, National Endowment for the Arts; the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Foundation International Arts Program; and the arts councils of Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and New Jersey, to name a few.

She has received numerous awards including two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, the Kellogg National Leadership Program Fellowship, Smithsonian International Travel fellowship as Visiting Scholar for Tokyo Gedia University, and the Roger L. Stevens Award for Contributions to the Arts and Culture from Carnegie Mellon University. Camp received the 2020 Award of Excellence from the American Craft Council for her debut at their Baltimore show.

Currently, Camp serves as a curator for A New View Camden public art project, as adjunct faculty at Drexel University and Rutgers University. She consults for non-profit organizations on strategic planning, leadership transition and best practices in governance. 

Excellence Award!
When paths cross along the journey . . .
How I met Kimberly Camp, the Artist
How often have you proclaimed, “it seems like only yesterday. . .? We just picked up where we left off!” The phrase has become a familiar reiteration for many who have maintained a lasting friendship along life’s path. I am very honored to share the life and creative gifts of Kimberly Camp with you. 

While working with a start-up event planning company, not only did I serve as the Vice President of Operations, but my skill sets as an event planner and producer were also anticipated. Never in a million years did I envision that I would cut my teeth to help produce a three-day outdoor festival for up to 1 million people! 

At the time, Kimberly was serving as the President and CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit, MI. Under her leadership, in 1998, Kimberly was responsible of producing a major signature event, the African World Festival, a significant endeavor, as it was one of many projects in position to raise funds to build the new Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. What a way to learn new skills! I was in awe of Kimberly’s professionalism and true leadership. Without her willingness, I would not be able to add to my list of skills that I possess the capacity to produce festivals! 

I welcome you to explore and enjoy Kimberly’s journey in the arts and please share with your connections! Every moment will be worth your time.
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