Events

"Lineage" unravels the threads of the past, exploring how family, culture, and generational trauma shape who we are today.

Kelcie McQuaid, a multidisciplinary artist, blends bio-art, portrait drawings, kinetic sculptures, and video installations to examine how trauma, habits, and cultural values are passed down through generations. Each piece encompasses the emotional complexity of inherited behaviors, memories, and familial history.

The exhibit features interactive, multisensory elements designed to encourage viewers to reflect on their own family legacies and the lasting impact of past experiences. Local musicians and artisans contribute to the immersive atmosphere, deepening community connections and sparking important conversations about mental health, identity, and healing.

McQuaid’s work pushes creative boundaries, offering a transformative space that not only invites introspection but also encourages dialogue around the power of legacy, personal growth, and collective healing. Experience "Lineage" today.

Upcoming Exhibition Events

Opening Reception │June 18th │6pm

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

About the Artist

Kelcie McQuaid is a Multidisciplinary Professional Artist, Curator and Founder of ShangriLa Collective. Her influence can be seen and felt throughout the Tri-County area, where she was born and raised. McQuaid’s curatorial practice focuses on connecting emerging and mid-career artists with clear creative vision who seek to explore human experience through multimedia exhibits. Her artwork challenges emotional and creative boundaries by layering bold illustrative portraits with vibrant abstractions. Early in her career, McQuaid produced dozens of iconic murals and participated in over 80 group exhibitions. After her solo debut “Universe Expanding” in 2014 where she showcased over 100 paintings, Kelcie McQuaid was awarded ‘Best Emerging Artist 2015’ in Broward Palm Beach New Times. McQuaid was an early champion of local developing art districts such as Mass District and Fat Village and has worked with many cultural entities including Broward County’s Cultural Division, Fort Lauderdale’s NSU Museum of Art, Pompano Beach’s Cultural Center, Coral Springs Museum of Art, Subculture Group, and ArtServe amongst others. McQuaid has facilitated hundreds of art events, educational workshops, public art projects and exhibitions in South Florida, helping to launch and sustain the careers of many emerging artists in the area. She curated and project managed “Open Canvas Project” a massive public art project boasting participation from over 500 artists and community members for the City of Fort Lauderdale and ArtServe, winning Best Non- Profit Collaboration of the Year in 2018. McQuaid spent several years revitalizing the local impact of national art supplier Jerry’s Artarama where she programmed educational workshops and launched development initiatives to support local art institutions as their Marketing + Outreach Coordinator. She has taught a multitude of art techniques as a Museum Educator for Coral Springs Museum of Art for over 6 years and even helped facilitate their annual ‘Empty Walls’ fundraiser in the summer of 2023. Kelcie has been consulting for Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs, Bailey Contemporary Arts: Artist in Residence program for the last two years, helping artists forge new relationships and further their professional development.

Kelcie received an Artist Support Grant from the Broward County Cultural Division in 2023-2024 to facilitate “People Pleaser”, a transformative multimedia Solo Exhibition exploring of the intricacies of identity, empathy and the universal desire to be accepted. Delving deep into complexities of human emotions and interpersonal connections, Kelcie created 107 portraits of local luminaries, a video installation self portrait, a 30+ piece living wall mounted ceramic installation, an immersive installation with LED lights and large scale abstractions, a pepper’s ghost, a photography and creative writing installation, woven textiles, and several large scale experimental mixed media abstractions. Kelcie’s paintings are inspired by a balance of feminine energy, nvulnerability, strength, and struggle. She is largely influenced by relationships from past to present and how people and our relationships can evolve, dissolve or transcend. Her art strives to capture how perspectives change over time. As we grow and age, we see things in different contexts. With this in mind, she uses the layering of paint, ink and other media to express her personal growth and power. Each time she picks up a brush, McQuaid revisits the paintings as a stronger person and she passes her development on to her works. Kelcie McQuaid currently works as an art conservation and restoration specialist, consultant, curator and professional artist in Fort Lauderdale Florida.