FEATURE ARTIST OPENING
Leah Keith
Friday Nov. 8th from 6-8pm at 4 Market St. Warren RI
AS ALWAYS, ARC{HIVE} WILL BE BE OPEN FOR DRINKS AND SNACKS
“I am different and different is good” – Leah Keith
Leah has been creating art and writing since she could talk and even before she could walk. She is a strong advocate for herself and others with different abilities. Her art is her way of expressing who she is. Leah’s preferred medium is painting with acrylic paint on canvas in free form and then spontaneously reciting a poem, which is transcribed on paper by her trusted support assistant, Stephen Alfano. Leah’s abstract paintings are created through a meditative process that leads to a new poem to complete the process. Over the years Leah has developed a technique which combines colors in one brush stroke. These swirls of color have dimension, which somehow keep their form and don’t turn to mud.
Leah is a serious thinker and wants to make a positive impact on her community. Through community activism she advocates and educates about disability awareness. Through her art she has found her place in society and through this medium she has also found herself. Leah has won many awards for her poetry, and she has served as the Poet Laureate for VSA Art of RI for the past 6 years. She has written and presented her poetry at many events, such as the 25th anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act at the Pawtucket Town Hall, Imago’s Poetry in The Wild event for the 2023 October Walkabout and at Salve Regina University. Leah was the keynote speaker for the 2021 Advocates in Action Conference. Leah attended the Bristol Community College theater program and performed and wrote for several productions, such as, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, Matchsticks and Treasure Island. Leah has published a book called, I Am Leah, and is preparing to publish her second book, The Calling. Both books are collections of Leah’s art and poetry.
Through this current collection of painting and poetry Leah continues to explore her environment and how she relates to it. Her art gives her a way to grow and develop and connects her to her community in a unique way.
@Iamleah226
