Chris Kelly (b. 1987) is an established artist based in Austin, Texas, with formative ties to Colorado, Michigan, and Illinois. His artistic foundation began early through scholarship-supported studies at Anderson Ranch Arts Center—an experience he considers among the most influential of his life. Although he initially pursued music, studying music and architecture at Bennington College, the 2008 financial crisis disrupted his academic path and prompted a return to painting.

During this period, Kelly supported himself working as a house painter and in the service industry while steadily refining his artistic practice. He later entered the wine industry, becoming a certified sommelier in 2012, and founded a label design business that frequently incorporated his paintings. Over time, growing frustrated by the creative constraints of commercial work, he shifted his focus toward exhibiting and selling his artwork independently—marking a decisive commitment to painting as a lifelong, full-time practice.

Raised in western Colorado, Kelly was a competitive skier, and the physicality and discipline of that experience continue to inform his relationship to process and material. He now works primarily in natural light, often painting outdoors to sustain an intuitive, responsive approach. Kelly lives and works in East Austin with his family. The recent transition into fatherhood has become an evolving influence on his perspective and work.

Notable Shows

• Sotheby’s Intl., Washington, D.C. 2024 • select works - present

• Verdant Gallery, Austin, TX • Selective Memory (Through March, 2026)

• Austin Studio Tour, home studio • Nov, 2025

• Studio Steinbomer Austin, TX • solo show 2024 - present

• Austin City Hall Austin, TX • main floor - (through May 2026)

• Austin Studio Tour, Red Line Studios • Nov, 2024

• Cohart Sigma Tauri Show • Solo paintings, Canopy, Austin, TX - 2024

• Bufalina Austin, TX • rotation of solo works - present

• Chinati Weekend, Marfa, TX • solo paintings, Alta Marfa, 2023

• The Banton, Austin TX • group show, 2022

• Vinology, Houston, TX • solo show, 2022

Press

Austin Lifestyle Magazine • June, 2024 pg. 40-41

Fox7 Austin - Tierra’s Texas • Ep. 11 @ 10:08

Commissions, inquiries

email: chris@crkart.com

instagram: @_crk.art