January 2018
Featured Artist Series ~ Kaleigh Peery ~
1/24/2018 -
Kool Beanz Cafe is excited and proud to have in the house local talent Kaleigh E Peery A.K.A. "Gypsy" or "Keekee." Kaleigh is a local actress, advocate, and artist, who has been creating art her entire life. Self-expression through art has always been essential to her survival. They say pain is a part of life, and she has certainly had her share. It was in the art room at Children’s Hospital that she first learned to use art as an escape and a way to express herself when emotions were overwhelming. As I grew into adulthood, and struggled with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), art remained an essential outlet for the anarchy of her mind. Her most heart-wrenching and challenging experiences include the stillbirth of her son, Sun M. Peery, at 19 years old, a miscarriage at the age of 24, and the recent passing of her beautiful 1 month old daughter, Esmerlda Phoenix. To help sort through her pain and staggering sense of emptiness and loss, she has thrown herself into her art once again – the one thing she can always count on to ease her soul. Art expresses the chaos, pain, and hope that swirls inside her heart like a maelstrom. Now when she creates, she feels an ever-deepening connection to her angels like never before. As an earth-conscious, spiritually connected person (and “starving artist”), she has focused on making an art-form out of the ability to turn the negative into positive - nothing into something. In this vein, she utilizes re-used canvases, oil and acrylics paints, upcycled and recycled goods in her creative process. She has also begun the process of tapping into her own pain to craft a pathway to ease the suffering of those around her. To that end, she has recently created a community outreach program dubbed “Perception Wellness” in tandem with Stephanie Bethel from Stephanie’s Spiritual Store (visit Perception Wellness on Facebook!). She has been slowly creating her own recovery-oriented art shows which are a showcase for her line of art therapy related pieces, including “Inspiration Jars”, handbags, jewelry, and much more! For information visit Gypsydaze on Facebook! She feels it has truly is an honor to be able to help others help themselves through her work.