Kerry Molina, president of Crossroads Arts Alliance, is a mixed-media artist, instructor, and writer originally from upstate New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Ithaca College. Her favorite lessons were hands-on in various museums in Europe during a study abroad program, particularly enjoying Post-Impressionism. She holds a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from The George Washington University, which is what brought her to this area. She also studied Studio Art, Dance, and has additional credits toward an MA in Education.
She was an elementary classroom teacher for nine years and created and taught several after-school and summer art, drama and poetry classes. Those teaching experiences and enrichment workshops prompted her to start her side business, which eventually became her current business, Yellow Brick Road Studio, through which she uses her creativity, lesson-planning skills, rapport with people and huge collection of materials to enrich the lives of others. Her classes are for kids and adults who want to expand their horizons into subjects such as art, art history, poetry, creative writing and more. She also enjoys taking her teaching on the road, holding classes at wineries, churches, shops, personal homes, and had been the kindergarten art enrichment teacher at Haymarket Baptist School for ten years.
One year ago, after a decade of traveling to Manassas, Occoquan and Woodbridge to participate in the arts programs she could find, she decided to start Crossroads Arts Alliance in order to bring arts opportunities to the western part of Prince William County. It has been an exciting year as, along with a fantastic team of dedicated volunteers, she’s worked to connect local creatives to her local community and vice versa. She hopes to continue to grow the organization month by month, volunteer by volunteer, patron by patron, art form to art form, town by town.
Kerry’s own artwork is mixed-media in that it combines acrylic paint, collage, ink, pencil and all other art supplies within her reach! Her pieces layer her love of color, vintage ephemera, nature and words. Another passion is making journals out of old books.
Kerry resides in Gainesville, VA with her husband Carlos; a son, Spencer and a daughter, Lacy, both at Gainesville High School; two cats, Rubi and Fletcher; and a dog, Mia.
“Lacy’s Favorite” by Kerry Molina
FOUR FUN FACTS
- I have had articles and artwork published several times in national magazines Art Journaling Magazine, Somerset Studio Magazine, Where Women Create, Cloth, Paper Scissors and more.
- I wrote, co-illustrated, and self-published a picture book called Kaci Keeps Going in 2018, based on a personal true story.
- I have kept a diary since I was 8 and I have them all except that first one. Copies of their writings often inform and sometimes appear in my artwork. I absolutely love to teach art journaling, which combines those two passions.
- My favorite pastime is junking/thrifting. I am obsessed with old books and papers and especially love anything vintage handwritten—diaries, letters, receipts, etc.