About Me
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Olivia Helms is an interdisciplinary artist whose work investigates identity through the lens of her relationships and experiences. Her paintings, surreal, contrasting, and vivid, explore the concept of faded memory through a nostalgic lens. She creates a space for connection and dialogue by empathizing with multiple perspectives. Identity is constructed in part through social media and pop culture yet also through our relationships and the way we are perceived. Identity is made somewhere in between these forces. Liminal spaces and stretched forms appear often in her work to create something that is familiar but unsettling. Her fiber works (embroidered thread, knitting, textiles) often point to the contrasting forces of childhood and the domestic Often the domestic is the liminal space where we are made to construct a sense of self. For Helms, the warmth of childhood with an adult’s perspective or slow careful processes that signify time, care and intention are opportunities to suggest new meanings beyond their original purpose. As an interdisciplinary artist, her work responds directly to the contemporary environment, filtering observations made through the lens of her own history so each piece becomes a reflection of where she has been and who we might become.
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Olivia Helms is a Kansas City–based painter pursuing her BFA in Painting with a Minor in Entrepreneurial Studies at the Kansas City Art Institute. Originally from McKinney, Texas, Helms discovered her passion for art after relocating to Oklahoma at age 13, where she began developing the technical skill and personal voice that continue to define her work today. Her artistic journey has been shaped by both study and teaching, with experience as an instructor at Inspired Aesthetics (Kansas City, MO) and Stilly Arts (Stillwater, OK). These roles have deepened her commitment to creative community-building and mentorship. Helms has also interned at the Charlotte Street Foundation and the Kansas City Artist Coalition, where she gained hands-on experience in exhibition coordination. Helms’ work has also been featured in various curated exhibitions as she continues to explore the intersection of expression, connection, and education while striving to inspire others to pursue their own creative paths.
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Olivia Helms she/her
Website/Portfolio: loafandoats.com
Education
2022-26| BFA in Painting + Minor in Entrepreneurial Studies
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2024| Associate Classes
Northern Oklahoma College, Stillwater, OK
2019-22| High School Diploma
Stillwater High School, Stillwater, OK
Work Experience
2023-2026| Resident Assistant
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2022- Present| Sales Associate
Urban Outfitters, Kansas City, MO
2025| Social Media and Graphic Design Internship
Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2025| Gallery Coordinator Internship
Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City, MO
2024| Assistant Art Teacher
Stilly Arts, Stillwater, OK
2024| Assistant Art Teacher
Inspired Aesthetics, Lees Summit, MO
2021-22| Server
Thai Cafe, Stillwater, OK
2019-21| CSR
Pizza Hut, Stillwater, OK
Awards and Associations
2025| KCAI Presidents Honor Roll
2025| KCAI Leap Award
2025-26| Film Club Member
2024| KCAI Presidents Honorable Mention Roll
2024| KCAI Presidents Honor Roll
2024| Pell Grant
2023| KCAI Presidents Honor Roll
2022| KCAI Merit Scholarship
2022| Stillwater High School Valedictorian
2021-22| Art Club President
2019-22| National Honor Society
Exhibitions
2026| “BFA Exhibition”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2026| “Ladylike”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2026| “Convos Around the Dinner Table”
Vulpes Bastille, Kansas City, MO
2026 | “Seeing Through”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2026| “Bone Snack”
One Hundred Million Artspace, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Art For All and Small Works Showcase”
Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Caught In Motion”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Floor Show”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “30th Undergraduate Exhibition”
Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2024| “Oh My God Can You Let Me Do What I Need to Do”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2024| “29th Undergraduate Exhibition”
Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2024| Wise Fools”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2023| “Crashed From Somewhere”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
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Coordinated Events
2026| “Major Mixer! Get to Know Your Future Major!”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2026| “KCAI Frat Party (Mocktails and Safe Drinking PSA)”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2026| “Chocolate Strawberries and Jazz Social”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2026| “Casino Night Social ”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Family Feud Night”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Campus Movie Night”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Hop-Up Pop-Up: an Entrepreneurial Sales Event”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Craft Night”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Midterm Study Tips and Review”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Annual Gala”
Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City, MO
2025| “KCAI Annual Halloween Blowout”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “October: First Friday”
Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Art For All”
Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Jazz Music, Crafts, and Study Tips”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2025| “Membership Drive”
Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2025| “November: First Friday”
Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2024| “Trivia Night”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2024| “Field Day and Ice Cream with UMKC Conservatory”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2024| “Music Bingo Night”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2024 | “Mocktail Saloon Social”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2024| “KCAI Annual Halloween Blowout”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2023| “KCAI Annual Halloween Blowout”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2023| “Bingo Night”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2023| “Learn Self Care and How to Deal with Burnout!”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2023| “Give Thanks: Letters to Those We Love”
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO