SmithKeiling Biography
Born in the Northern United States, moving every few years throughout the US, and raised primarily in the Southern US, Beverly SmithKeiling began a lifetime exploring the Sciences and the Arts. After earning a PhD in Microbiology, SmithKeiling’s career became more global while living around the world as scientific researcher, professor of science, interdisciplinary educator, writer, artist, performer, volunteer, and someone engaging with cultural diversity and outreach to intertwine all these vocations in as educator/artist/writer.
Her artistic development was encouraged at a young age with recognition and awards in art, music, and writing, but after science got ahold of her, artistic training along the way was mostly through private training, mentorships, workshops and auditing courses at various colleges (Univ. Minnesota, Augsburg College, McPhail School of Music, American Univ. of Paris, MN Northwoods) in instrumental, theater/public speaking, vocal, and mixed media art, with a focus on writing.
She has been inspired and guided by some well-known artists and writers (Oksana Bryn, Vicky Mountain, Tara Sweeney, Eva Heisler, Darcey Steinke, Lorraine Lopez, and others along the way). Formal training in over five languages, and cultural experiences in over sixty countries contribute to SmithKeiling’s exploration of the common human condition that ties us together in our common themes of humanity through shared communication and expression through experiential-storytelling, young adult fiction, poetry, and fiction works. A writer’s workshop led by Darcey Steinke at American University of Paris opened new doors as a fiction writer and poet. MN Northwoods Writers Conference with workshop author Lorraine Lopez, and craft talks by others, expanded her horizons. An artist-in-residency at Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan solidified her expression as an artist through a series of Art and Breakfast experiential-storytelling events and her first solo exhibition titled Transformation. Further progress through MN Northwoods Writers Conference, the Loft, and other venues unifies these experiences in her fiction works.
Fiction Writers Workshop and Residency. American University of Paris July 2015
Artist in Residence. Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan. Jan-March 2016.
Artist in Residence. Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan. April-May 2016.
Art-and-Breakfast. Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan.
Art-and-Breakfast. Nagoya, Japan.
MN Northwoods Writer’s Conference, Bemidji, Minnesota, USA. June 2016.
Writers Workshops, Residencies & Exhibitions
A writer’s workshop led by Darcey Steinke at American University of Paris opened new doors as a fiction writer and poet. The MN Northwoods Writers Conference with workshop author Lorraine Lopez and craft talks by others expanded her horizons. An artist-in-residency at Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan, solidified her expression as an artist through a series of Art and Breakfast experiential storytelling events and her first solo exhibition titled Transformation. Further progress through MN Northwoods Writers Conference, the Loft, and other venues unifies these experiences in her fiction works.
Writers Workshops, Artist Residencies and Exhibitions
American University of Paris, July 2015
Artist in Residence. Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan. Jan-March 2016
Artist in Residence. Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan. April-May 2016
Art-and-Breakfast. Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan
Art-and-Breakfast. Nagoya, Japan
MN Northwoods Writer’s Conference, Bemidji, Minnesota, USA. June 2016
Artist-in-Residence Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
I’ve visited and lived in different parts of Japan several times as a scientist, educator and writer intent on learning culture, but this time was my first visit accepted as an Artist-in-Residence. Joining artists from across Japan and around the world, we shared our craft while experiencing the snowy city of Sapporo in Hokkaido.
Active Artistic Events
Art and Breakfast
Seclusion and focused writing were interspersed with active engagement with other artists and members of the community. Through a three-part Art & Breakfast series, I used multiple languages, body movement and expression to first do part of a storytelling experience. Then to make this experiential, the storytelling was followed by the community drawing what they heard or felt. Then I after a discussion, I incorporated their interpretations and expressions into the next part of the story. Together we engaged in communication debriefing what they drew through whatever means we had with and without translation to learn and grow together. This showed us all that our common humanity ties us together when we work together for a common goal even if language barriers can sometimes hamper us. There are many ways to communicate.
Storybook Experience
This concept was very expressive during an open house children’s day storytelling experience where even my little use of Japanese (and some English) I told stories through the pictures our community had drawn and the natural curiosity young Japanese kids had about the tall blonde white foreigner.
Physics Through the Lens of Art
Where one may see snow with the eyes, another may see interesting presentations of the world of science and the nature of physics. Through a collaboration with my husband, we presented this winter theme of snow through artistic photographic representations.
Exhibitions
"Transformation" Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo, Japan. March 2016.
Works
Currently producing experiential-storytelling storybook fiction.