About
Kylee McKinney is an interdisciplinary artist creating visual narratives that explore storytelling, memory, and cultural connection. Using Salish formline, her work translates stories into color, form, and movement, blending traditional and digital techniques. Her practice is rooted in both creative expression and education, drawing inspiration from oral histories, personal research, and the act of making.
McKinney holds a BFA in Visual Arts, summa cum laude, from the University of Colorado Denver, with a minor in Digital Design, and is currently pursuing her K–12 teaching license in Visual Arts. Her work has been exhibited at RedLine Contemporary Art Center and Pirate Contemporary Art, and she was awarded a 2025 scholarship from ArtGym Denver.
She is currently developing Told in Color and Form, a series translating Salish stories into contemporary visual narratives, and lives and works in the South Denver metro area.
Artist Biography
My work transforms Salish oral and written stories into visual compositions, using painting and mixed media to reimagine their structure, symbolism, and rhythm. Rooted in my Sinixt lineage, I draw from Salish art traditions—pattern, form, and materiality—to create works that function as living vessels for story. Rather than illustrating narratives literally, I translate them into layered visual languages that reflect the way stories are remembered, retold, and carried forward.
My current body of work, Told in Color and Form, explores the intersection of Salish mythology, art tradition, and contemporary visual storytelling. Through painting and mixed media, the project reimagines traditional teachings as immersive visual experiences. By embedding ancestral knowledge into contemporary expression, I aim to counter erasure and affirm the ongoing presence of Salish culture in today’s art landscape.
Artist Statement
