Daily Inspiration: Meet Kenzi Goss

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenzi Goss

Hi Kenzi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I went to high school on the east side of the state, knowing that I wanted to do something creative. When I did the typical tour of colleges, Kendall (KCAD) caught my eye as a really welcoming environment and so I applied and got in fall of 2011. I started with the intention of majoring in Illustration with a minor in photography, but quickly learned that I wanted to focus on Illustration and learn as many materials and techniques as I could. After school, I did a little of everything, slowly finding my voice and unique style; a commission here, a side project there, a couple very small markets all while working in the local restaurant scene. I got my first big break when I heard through the grapevine that Brewery Vivant needed an artist for their 2016 Wood Aged Beer Festival, which I had the honor of doing the poster and accompanying art for. Then a couple years later, I got a call from one of my old managers to come and do the menu boards for the Jolly Pumpkin that opened on the west side. That was my first large scale on-site job. A couple years later, an old friend from KCAD asked me to come meet with the owner to do the inner chalk mural for the new Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea that opened on Bond. From there, I worked with Sweetwaters on most of their large scale projects and continue to work with them to this day, which got me connected to the Activate This Space and World of Winter grants through DGRI. During the pandemic I was itching to get involved in some way with the activism and community building that I saw around me but didn’t feel comfortable going out to protest so I asked myself, where I could get involved with the skills that I have? From there I decided to open up my books for people to help me raise funds for the USPS, which was in trouble during the chaos. With the election coming up and many people forced or choosing to mail in their votes, I decided to start a “Save Our Mail” fundraiser, where I asked people to give me a short three or so word description and their general aesthetic (or they could leave it completely up to me) and I would take donations to buy stamps. Through this I sent out over 100 cards and “raised” (collected money and spent it on stamps due to the inability to directly donate to the USPS) over $400 for the USPS in just a few months. I spent time in between projects looking into smaller scale opportunities for ways to get some of the art I had been creating and collecting over the pandemic years out into the public. Through that, I got into ZineFest, Pleasant Peninsula and other local markets. I turned that into vending at a couple spaces in Grand Rapids, such as Second Vibess, who gave me my first opportunity to vend after working with them on a window display, then now through The Haunt in the Halloween season. Through the knowledge I have gained doing many different types of projects I am able to find new ways to display pieces and expand my market/vending offerings from simple prints and stickers to wooden wall plaques and zines. My work can now be seen at Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea on Bond, throughout the city during World of Winter (keep an eye out for me again during the 2025 festival), during various summer markets, at The Haunt gift shop, and on three storm drains around the city through the LGROW mini mural projects – one on Jefferson and Wealthy, one outside The Meanwhile’s parking lot, and the newest on the corner of Leonard and Plainfeild. It’s taken a while and the art path I’m on is constantly changing and adapting to work through as many opportunities as I can get – but I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my community and the network I have slowly built over time, as well as continuously checking the organizations that have websites or social media for Artist/Vendor calls. As of today, I am always looking for another mural or window installation opportunity as well as seasonal markets. Although the goal is to do art full time eventually, I do work a day job in screen printing. This has sparked a whole other side of my creativity, which includes opportunities to do live events and teach others about the world of screen printing as well as given me access to more materials and techniques to learn. I also got to expand my market offerings to apparel with my own original work on them and that feels so rewarding. I am always trying to evolve my art and process and find the next thing that brings me joy.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t always been smooth, and sometimes still isn’t, it’s a real struggle to be an unknown artist in this city with a small network. You constantly have to keep an eye out for opportunities and put yourself out there with cold emails and DM’s to different businesses in the city that may or may not need art. One summer I put out about 30 applications for various large scale projects and didn’t get accepted for a single one. The next summer I had so many opportunities I had to hire some friends for assistance. I think I’m still trying to find a balance and what feels like the perfect fit for me. I do my best to try not to gate-keep any knowledge I have of opportunities as well, I felt like for a while I didn’t know where to look or who to talk to about art opportunities – so now every time I’m doing a project I make sure everyone I talk to knows how I got this job, as well as letting other artists I know about open calls I have applied for. Community and networking has been key to my success in the recent years and I cannot say it enough. For example if you have a friend who does art and your local coffee shop puts up art, please ask your barista how you or a friend could get their work up. Grab those business cards from markets you like and reach out to the artist about opportunities to vend. Talk to other artists you see doing the things you want to do, or that your friend wants to do, and SHARE your knowledge!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Working with a lot of different materials and processes is what interests me. When doing window installations I prefer to use acrylic paint on wood in a large scale, then cut out and epoxy the pieces – like how you would when you’re making a table. I enjoy playing with light and sound as well in my installations. Creating an experience that feels fun and whimsical, with a touch of nostalgia. In my installations I am inspired by flat-figure paper puppets and pieces of pop-up books and try to mimic them with layering and effects. When doing murals, I try to approach the subject given with an image that is overall fun, and highlights the themes presented by the client. I tend to gravitate towards iconographic imagery as opposed to narrative scenes, though I love a challenge and to try something a little different every time. As far as vending items, those are inspired by anything from internet memes and pop culture references, to Michigan legends and snacks. I try to find something new to learn about – or a special interest I would like to learn more about every time I make a new piece. My stickers and prints are some of my favorite pieces from the “Save Our Mail” project that I ran, and my wooden plaques are themed around each market so the collection grows and grows, from spooky things to Superman ice cream. In general I am inspired by fun, bright colors, puns and silly humor, and find that I enjoy putting a spin on the aesthetic of traditional tattoos. I think my tongue-in-cheek style of illustration and use of skeletons instead of full figures sets me apart in this art scene. If you see a friendly looking skeleton, or a skeleton interacting with the world around it, it’s probably one of my lil guys running around the city! I’m most proud of the improvements I’ve made to my market projects and being involved in World of Winter every year for the past few years.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My advice to any new artist is to be patient and keep at it. Also to keep your ear to the ground for opportunities, and to message people around you that you see creating the types of art you would like to create. I think an important lesson I’m learning still is when to hustle and when to take breaks. I find it hard to say no to an opportunity and so I find myself overbooked every once in a while and then it takes having a good support network to get you through those stressful times. One last thing I have to say, is that as a new artist it’s a very high possibility you will have to take a different job than art straight out of the gate. I say that to say this; do not let that day job take too much of you away so that you don’t have enough energy to invest in yourself and your art when you want to do it.

Pricing:

• installations/murals – $2,500-$10,000+/$250-$1,200+
• wood plaques – $15-$50+
• stickers/zines – $2/$10-$15
• apparel – $15-$30
• anything custom adds $5-$15+ depending on the consultation with the client

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kgossillustration.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenziboss/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kgossillustration/