Hi, I'm Kesha Bruce. (she/her)

I’m a French-American interdisciplinary Artist, curator, & storyteller currently living and working in the Phoenix, Arizona.

My work explores the connections between memory, mythology, and magical-spiritual belief in the African Diaspora.

MY ART WORLD STREET CRED:

I have a BFA in Painting from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the prestigious Hunter College CUNY Painting program in New York City.

In addition to the 100+ international exhibitions under my belt, in 2018 my work was included in The Dakar Biennale, the African continent's longest running major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Dakar, Senegal.

In 2024 I was chosen as a WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation) Leaders of Color Fellow. I’ve also been awarded fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) The Vermont Studio Center, and The Puffin Foundation.

My art is included in the collections of The Amistad Center for Art & Culture, The University of Iowa Women’s Center, The En Foco Photography Collection, The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) Franklin Furnace Artist Book Collection, The U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies Program, and 14 of my artworks are part of the permanent collection of The Smithsonian Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington DC.

But before all that...

**I was just another young Artist desperately struggling to figure sh*t out.**

All the famous artists in the glossy art magazines lived in New York City, so...

A week after I graduated from college, I sold everything I owned and bought a one-way ticket to New York City.

I landed in Brooklyn with a backpack full of wrinkled clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, and $3000 in cash in my pocket.

It was scary.

It was exhausting.

I almost gave up soooo many times.

But not only did I survive, I managed to build a life for myself as a working artist.

Abolition isn't just about ending the prison industrial complex; it's about daring to imagine and actively creating a world based in liberation.

For artists, this means learning & working together to push back against harmful artworld systems & practices.

For almost 15 years, I’ve helped artists strengthen their art businesses and find galleries, collectors, and supporters for their work.

Abolitionist Art School is dedicated to building a community that embodies the principles of abolitionism and actively works toward equity within the art world.

We envision a future where creatives can thrive without depending on oppressive institutions and where art is a tool for liberation and collective empowerment.