In this Art NXT Level podcast episode, gallery owner Kimberly Atwood shares her story and the intern placement program at Elephant Room Gallery in Chicago.

Listen to podcast:

Kimberly L. Atwood received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago where she studied Photography and Video. Her interest in running an arts organization that would focus on local, under-represented artists started there. She is now co-owner, director and curator at Elephant Room, an art gallery in the South Loop of Chicago who focuses on local, under-represented artists who are ready to break out and gain a wider audience. The gallery opened in November of 2009 with a solo exhibition by then Chicago-based multi-disciplinary artist, Sam Kirk. The gallery now rotates exhibitions every 6 weeks and hosts artist talks and workshops to coincide with the exhibitions. The organization also hosts pop up exhibitions in other galleries and unique locations and works with the community in order to contribute to Chicago’s vibrant art scene.

Kimberly also runs an Intern Placement Program through the gallery which helps to facilitate internships for students and recent grads to work one on one with local artists in order to provide experience and growth for both parties. She is also a free-lance photographer for her company, Kim Carol Photography, where she focuses on weddings, events, kids and location portraits.

Helpful Resource:

Chicago Gallery News (specifically their articles where they interview other art professionals – artists, gallery owners, collectors, etc.)

Website: www.elephantroomgallery.com