Kris Neely
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kristofer M. Neely (born November 21, 1978) is an American creative writer and
visual artist The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...
in
Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in South Carolina, 11th ...
, United States. Neely currently serves as Professor of Art and Director of Interdisciplinary Studies at
Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) is a private college in Saxon, South Carolina, United States, with a Spartanburg, South Carolina, Spartanburg postal address. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and enrolled 1,128 studen ...
.George, Dustin
"Kris Neely's guardian pieces were born from a simple favor for his mother"
Spartanburg Magazine on GoUpstate.com. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
Neely is known for his work titled "Guardian Angels,"Kimzey, Kim
"Local artist Kristofer Neely inspired by journey to cross"
GoUpstate.com. 12 March 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
which was painted on pieces of wood that he had found. He has painted more than 10,000 guardians. Neely is also the owner and creative director of Wet Paint Syndrome Studio"Success Initiative: Kris Neely"
. Wofford College. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
which opened in September 2009.


Education

Neely holds a B.A. degree from
Wofford College Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1854, it is one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the American Civil War that still ope ...
(2002) with a major in religion, graduating summa cum laude, first in his class,
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
, Presidential International Scholar, and recipient of the Walter E. Hudgins Award for Intellectual Courage, Creativity, and Vision. Neely earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Interdisciplinary Art from
Goddard College Goddard College was a Private college, private college with three locations in the United States: Plainfield, Vermont; Port Townsend, Washington; and Seattle. The college offered undergraduate and graduate degree programs. With predecessor ins ...
in 2009.


Guardians

In 2005, Neely painted his first "Guardian" painting, a small
angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
image on found wood, for his mother. He created the painting in memory of his brother Erik Hudson Neely, who died in 2000 from an
epileptic seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...
. Neely gave his mother a few more of these angel paintings to give to friends. He then began selling them after a business owner in Spartanburg requested 50 of them for their employees. Since then, Neely has been selling the Guardians primarily in the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...
, but has had orders from other states and countries. In 2008, sensing that the Guardians had become knickknacks, Neely stopped selling them for six months, giving them away instead. He sometimes hid them in various locations in the city of Spartanburg for people to find. Neely started selling the Guardians again in. 2009, Criticized that he was creating too many Guardians and selling them too cheaply, Neely responded, "I think any artist would be honored to have a work that can connect with people so powerfully."
“When I’m working on a Guardian, I try to think to myself about what this could mean to the person who receives it,” Neely said. “When I catch myself in a moment of slipping out of that kind of awareness, I’ll just stop. The numbers (of angels he makes) aren’t important; it’s that I focus on the one.”


Career

Neely worked with the Success Initiative program at
Wofford College Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1854, it is one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the American Civil War that still ope ...
from 2005 until 2010. He served as the Assistant Director of the program before being appointed as the Executive Director in 2007. At Wofford College, Neely has also served as the Director of Residence Life and the Director of Project Development in the Office of Student Affairs. In his time on the Student Affairs Staff, July 2005 - February 2007, Neely helped to envision, create, and pilot a number of innovations including the online housing lottery, living-learning communities, the First Year Interface website, and the IMPACT Wofford program. Neely taught 9th and 11th grade English at the Spartanburg Day School prior to his return to
Wofford College Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1854, it is one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the American Civil War that still ope ...
. Neely is the owner and creative director of the Wet Paint Syndrome Studio. In 2014, Neely held an exhibit at the Martha Cloud Chapman Gallery in the Campus Life Building at Wofford College. The exhibit, called, "Iconic," featured pop culture icons as well as famous figures along with photographs of every people who are unnamed. Images are recreated—fractured, torn, presented in a unique and sometimes interactive style.Lawrence, Addie
"Neely's art exhibit 'Iconic' on display at Wofford"
. GoUpstate.com. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
As of 2017, Neely is at
Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) is a private college in Saxon, South Carolina, United States, with a Spartanburg, South Carolina, Spartanburg postal address. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and enrolled 1,128 studen ...
teaching art.


Personal

Neely served as
writer-in-residence Artist-in-residence (also Writer-in-residence), or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs that involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs that pr ...
and editor for Hidden Voices, a community-based art project sponsored by The Hub City Writers Project, the Spartanburg Arts Partnership, and Piedmont Care, Inc. ''Hidden Voices: Reflections from an Affected Community'' was published in October 2005 by the Hub City Writers Project. In his studio, he experiments with new media and finds objects to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. In 2008, Neely presented his work in the Guild Gallery at the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg. He also exhibited a series of works at
Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...
in March 2011 titled "Into Your Hands: Post Modern Meditations on the Stations of the Cross." His oversize photographs of a Spartanburg water tower are on permanent display at the Spartanburg County Administration Building. In June 2006, he was invited to hang a two-month solo exhibition of paintings and photographs in the Martha Cloud Chapman Gallery at Wofford College. The exhibition was then moved for two months to the Spartanburg High School Gallery. Neely's work is represented in both local and regional galleries, and he has completed commissioned work for the Campus Safety Office (2006), Carlisle Residence Hall (2006), and the Success Initiative Center (2005) at Wofford College. In March 2008, Neely's poetry was featured in the anthology, ''Still Home,'' edited by Rachel Harkai. Neely was named the 2005 Unsung Hero by Piedmont Care at the 2005 South Carolina HIV/STD Conference held in
Greenville, South Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, sixth-most pop ...
."Kris Neely Named 2005 Unsung Hero"
Piedmont Care. 26 October 2005. Retrieved 16 July 2012.


References


External links


Artist's active living project ends with show, reception for seekers
GoUpstate
Audio slideshow: Kris Neely's 'Into Your Hands'
GoUpstate {{DEFAULTSORT:Neely, Kris Goddard College alumni Wofford College alumni Place of birth missing (living people) Wofford College faculty Living people 1978 births