Artist of the Month
Derek Wilks
Visit OutFront Kalamazoo during Art Hop on Friday, July 10 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. as we welcome local author Derek Wilks! Derek will read an excerpt and share character artwork from his newest publication, On Deck, followed by an open discussion about their inspiration, writing process, and experiences as a trans author and artist.
About the Artist
Derek Wilks (he/him) is a trans author and artist hailing from Southwest/Central Michigan. He draws most of his inspiration from experiences he's lived as a queer, rural kid, often finding comfort in these themes. He spends most of his time hanging out with his partner and his cat when he is not developing his upcoming projects, and drawing the silly little guys that are in them.
He holds an associates degree in graphic design from Kellogg Community College, a forklift certification, and is anxiously awaiting to see where On Deck takes him in the future.
How to Apply
Each month, OutFront Kalamazoo uplifts a Kalamazoo-area LGBTQIA+ artist as OutFront Artist of the Month. The benefits of being our Artist of the Month include:
Being featured on our social media
Being featured on a website page of all past featured artists
Displaying your artwork and promotional materials in the OutFront Kalamazoo office for a month
Being the OutFront Art Hop artist OR being featured in an OutFront special event in non-Art Hop months
All Kalamazoo-area LGBTQIA+ artists of all mediums (visual, performance, written, etc.) are encouraged to apply through the form linked below. If you need help with any aspect of the form, please indicate so or call our office, and we are happy to assist you.
Past Artists
2026
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[N/A]
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The following artists affiliated with MRC Industries’ artWorks program were featured in February 2026:
Tena H. (she/her) is trans and an abstract painter who is inspired by her experiences.
Andy B. (he/him) is gay and an experimental artist specializing in polymer clay.
Turquoise S. (she/her) is trans and an acrylic painter who focuses heavily on queer themes in her work.
JJ M. (he/him) is queer, and he tries a little bit of everything, but his favorite medium is fabric and textile arts.
Learn more about MRC artWorks at: https://www.mrcartworks.org/
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Cyrus Sanchez (he/they)
IG: @cys_art_thingDean Rosen / Doodle Caloo (he/him)
Instagram / EmailRadley An / Rad Alien Designs (they/them)
InstagramOakley Briar (they/he)
InstagramOasis (they/them)
InstagramRobertson-DeCRAFTS
WebsiteArias Cruse (they/them)
EmailRaymond Falkiewicz / Raymond Art Productions (they/he)
Website / InstagramHutch Hoing / Robyn Hoing Photography (they/them/any)
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Lissa Camarillo (she/her) is a 26 year old poet from Galesburg, Michigan. She writes about her mental health issues, grief, and body image issues. She performs at different open mic nights around Kalamazoo, Galesburg, and Three Rivers.
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Carl Wyman (she/her) also known as bleached blossoms is an abstract artist focusing on exploring the relationship with art and mental illness. She creates in a variety of mediums, exploring color, shapes, and textures. Many of her pieces touch on the struggles she faces in self-expression and identity due to her illnesses, as well as tapping into colors and themes that remind her of childhood. She is a painter, printmaker, maker of jewelry, as well as any other medium that captures her attention. She believes in the continuation of exploration of mental health struggles, and the therapeutic abilities art is able to provide people with the benefit of. Carl originally hails from Battle Creek, MI, but has been located in Kalamazoo since 2020. She is heavily involved in the local art community, and is a part of the Starlite Collective, and ARC Kalamazoo. She originally found her footing in the local house show community, and since then, has shown art at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Saniwax Gallery, and MWJ studios.
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Kristen Field (she/they) is a queer, non-binary writer from Melbourne, Australia. She earned her MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University, and her full-length play sex/work had its world premiere at Playhouse on the Square in January 2026, directed by Jamie Boller. Her work explores issues of the body, chronic illness, intimacy, politics, performance, and womanhood, and she’s incredibly honored to be partnering with OutFront Kalamazoo. Recent projects include a short play festival she produced at the Dormouse Theatre last year, a residency with Renaissance Theaterworks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a staged reading of her short play Laura Wingfield walks into a bar at Fusion Theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico (after placing in the 2nd Seven in their national contest).
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Derek Wilks (he/him) is a trans author and artist hailing from Southwest/Central Michigan. He draws most of his inspiration from experiences he's lived as a queer, rural kid, often finding comfort in these themes. He spends most of his time hanging out with his partner and his cat when he is not developing his upcoming projects, and drawing the silly little guys that are in them.
He holds an associates degree in graphic design from Kellogg Community College, a forklift certification, and is anxiously awaiting to see where On Deck takes him in the future.
2025
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Tash Gardewine (she/they) likes to create tattoos that make people feel good in their bodies while also creating something that stands out from the rest. Tash often likes to mix styles of tattooing to create visually appealing works, and loves adding fun and quirky elements to pieces to make an original piece of art for the client. Outside of tattooing, Tash loves to let loose and create abstract, mixed media works as well.
See more of Tash’s work at https://www.instagram.com/tashistheweapon/
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"C" Heaps (they/them) is a theatre artist in the full sense of the word. Whether they're translating plays from Brazil, directing plays by other local artists, or writing their own plays about the space between genders and sexualities, "C" is always doing something artistic. As an independent scholar of theatre, they are currently working on a project about the performance of gender in eSports and streaming. You can find them at Queer Theatre Kalamazoo where they are Managing Director.
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Artists featured in March 2025’s Trans Artist Gallery included:
Felix Sunflower (they/he)
https://felixfiles.com/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/felixfiles
https://www.instagram.com/felix.filesRose Harrington (they/she/he)
https://www.instagram.com/odd.art.archive/Ssandeliss (they/them)
[no links shared]Zoe / Lunar Mothian (they/them)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarMothianAzriel Wotton (he/they)
https://www.instagram.com/azriel.artwork/Silas Bush / Silkore (they/he)
https://linktr.ee/sillkore?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=2f9ebe33-7433-4d57-ba19-4b9d9913f434
https://www.instagram.com/sillkore/Meuroga (they/she)
https://www.instagram.com/meuroga/Angela Hirdes (they/she)
https://www.redbubble.com/people/londonsan/shop
https://www.instagram.com/moonprism_ink/Para Peabody (it/its)
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OutFront Kalamazoo did not feature an artist in April 2025 in lieu of relocation efforts.
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Dean Rosen (he/they) is a local Kalamazoo digital and traditional artist that specializes in character design and animal portraits. He loves bringing ideas to life and working with fantasy, semi-realism, and logo design.
Find Dean on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doodle_caloo/
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Meredith Bieber (she/her) loves to draw femme people in various styles. Using materials such as graphite, ink, acrylic and markers, the images in her head come alive as vibrant works of art.
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Erin Brott (she/her) views her paints as a detailed map of her experiences in love, life, and nature. Through paint and color, she investigates the subtle nuances of daily existence, depicting these energies, emotions, moments, and occurrences. As a queer artist, she incorporates symbols and patterns with historical significance of the LGBTQIA+ community, drawing attention to specific areas within the frame. These compositions aim to create a safe space for simply existing, observing, and reflecting.
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Vendors who participated in August 2025’s Summer Art Bazaar included:
StudioFrazier
https://www.instagram.com/autumndyes
studiofrazier.mayhem.myKenny’s Doodle-Mart
McStuffies, PhD
https://www.instagram.com/mcstuffiesphd
https://www.mcstuffiesphd.comJupiter G. Jewelry
https://linktr.ee/jupgjewelryFine Art by Adrienne
https://cara.app/aloe-very
https://www.instagram.com/aloe-craftsBritt
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gWhL3yPN2q6mDRrnSewer Brats
https://www.instagram.com/sewer-bratsAnnabelle Sunday
https://www.depop.com/annabellesunday/
https://poshmark.com/closet/annabellesundayAngel
Andy Imsland
By Human Hands
https://www.instagram.com/by_human_handsMichelle Hunt
https://www.instagram.com/michelle_hunt_artCrochet Bug
https://www.instagram.com/croch3t.bugFelix Purcey
https://www.instagram.com/f3lix_xd
https://purcey.wixsite.com/felixpdesignsKnot Ur Mothers Macrame
https://linktr.ee/knotyourmothersLavendar Lines
Robertson-DeCRAFTS
https://rjrobertsondegraaf.wixsite.com/my-siteA.P. Menzor Studio
https://www.instagram.com/apmenzor
https://www.facebook.com/apmenzor.studio/
https://www.alexmenzor.comSunflower Arts And Crafts
https://www.instagram.com/sunflower.arts.and.crafts -
In a 30+ year journey as a photographer and digital artist, Kris Walker (he/him) has always been drawn to architecture and the geometry of buildings. This series began as an exploration of shape and pattern. Starting with tightly cropped photos of architectural details, he sought out interesting shapes and patterns. By rotating and mirroring these patterns, the elements were further broken down into abstractions. This process led to geometric patterns reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, which in turn inspired the use of saturated colors to contrast the typically monochromatic finishes of most buildings—an approach that can be seen as the antithesis of architecture. Architectural design, at its core, is bound by utility. The ways in which spaces are used by clients and the fundamental properties of construction materials impose constraints on what is possible. Stripping away the physical structure enables the transformation of these buildings into pure elements of visual design—shape, color, pattern, and more. This series expresses a central element of the Kris’ creative vision: the exploration of possibilities. A guiding question in their work is, “What if…?” All of the pieces in this series began with photographs of buildings in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.
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Margaret DeRitter (she/her) is the author of the full-length poetry collection "Singing Back to the Sirens," which has been described by Pulitzer-winning poet Diane Seuss as a collection of "achingly beautiful and gutsy poems" that "represent an autobiography of love." DeRitter was also a winner of the 2018 Celery City Chapbook Contest for "Fly Me to Heaven by Way of New Jersey." Her work has been published in numerous literary journals and appears in the 2025 anthologies Love is for All of Us: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends, We've Got Some Things to Say: Reshaping Narratives Around Sexual Violence, and Living Our Blessings: Aging, Mortality and Gratitude. Margaret worked full time as a journalist for 30 years, including 22 years at the Kalamazoo Gazette, and has taught journalism at Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University. She lives in Kalamazoo and serves as copy editor and poetry editor of Encore magazine.
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Leray Photography, short for Leasia Rayona Photography founded by passionate artist and photographer Leasia, is dedicated to celebrating the beauty of human connection, emotion, and storytelling through the lens. A graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography, Leasia combines her technical expertise with a keen eye for capturing moments that resonate deeply. Rooted in the belief that photography is a powerful medium for expression and healing, Leray Photography offers a unique perspective influenced by Leasia’s artistic journey and commitment to community engagement. Her work often explores themes of vulnerability, self-acceptance, and personal transformation, aiming to create imagery that speaks to the heart. Beyond her photography business, Leasia is inspired by her vision to curate meaningful art experiences. She’s an advocate for using creativity as a tool to overcome trauma and foster emotional growth, “a mission she championed not only in her art but in her efforts to create and support authentic environments with the goal of “Creative Freedom.” Whether working with clients to document their special moments or crafting visual stories for broader audiences, Leray Photography captures more than just images—she preserves memories, sparks connection, and shares stories that matter.
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Sewer Brats is a Kalamazoo based artist and zinester. Whether it be collaging saucy magazines or vintage paper products, the art of Sewer Brats is fun, flirty, and defiant. Much of their work touches on themes of pop culture, sexuality, and reclamation. Remember kids, the rats DO run this city. You can find them on instagram @sewer_brats
2024
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Valentine Payne (she/her) is a young African-American artist who uses colorful acrylic paint on canvas. Her painting style is a mix of abstract and cartoon. Valentine also creates exquisite digital art logo designs. Her art has been on display at various schools and venues. She sells her art and does custom pieces.
Follow Valentine on Instagram at @prettycrispy1
Valentine was the OFK Artist of the Month in July 2024.
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Meetri'a Angelo (she/her) is that author of A Stroke of Recovery, a memoir recounting the author’s road to recovery following a devastating stroke.
Learn more about Meetri'a and purchase a copy of her book at https://www.meetriaangelo.com/about-the-author
Meetri'a was the OFK Artist of the Month in August 2024.
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Max Matthews (he/him) usually works with watercolor, but likes to experiment with mediums, textures, and styles. He takes a lot of inspiration from the fantasy genre, particularly dark fantasy, as well as his experience as an individual in the LGBTQ+ community.
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Raymond Falkiewicz (they/he) is a local illustrator and photographer. They have been drawing for as long as they can remember, but began taking it more seriously in 2012. His current specialty is felines and digital illustration, but he enjoys trying new things to expand his horizons. In 2016, they fell in love with the art of photography; they especially enjoy nature photography and activism photography. Raymond decided to expand his skills to a small-business level in the spring of 2024, taking on art shows and crafting events. Outside of artistry, they enjoy reading, taking nature walks, and traveling with their girlfriend.
Learn more about Raymond’s work at https://linktr.ee/mxraymondf.
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Austin Rounds is a twenty-two-year-old artist who has used his art as an outlet and a way to express himself when the world around him may feel off kilter, beautiful, and even challenging. Being autistic has not always been easy, but it is a part of who Austin is, and only adds to his creativity.
We launched Austin’s Art Gallery after Austin’s graduation from High School in 2020 (austinroundsgallery.com).
Austin was published as the sole illustrator for the book, Michigan Monsters and Macabre Series Two (available now) by Wicked Harvest Books last September (2022).
Austin is currently working on his second book (Quilliam Series) about a young hedgehog with autism. This children’s book will be loosely based on Austin’s experiences in Elementary School, which will including his struggles, triumphs and supports.
Austin continues to work on commissioned pieces of art and enjoys working with a variety of styles and mediums. Austin has been participating in the Kalamazoo Art Hop since June of 2021 and has been the feature artist at multiple venues including the Kalamazoo State Theatre, Arcus Gallery, and Kalamazoo Valley Museum.
Austin has been interviewed for Kalamazoo Lively Arts by PBS. Austin had multiple art exhibits at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and the Center for New Media (downtown Kalamazoo) in the fall of 2022. Austin has also been featured in two panel discussion (Western Michigan University and KVA Museum) summer/fall 2022.
Please enjoy the marvelously creative and unbridled art of Austin Rounds. -
Audrey Lynn is a local, self taught artist that enjoys embarking on all styles of art from cake decorating to DIY projects to just simply drawing or painting. As of now she is trying to figure out screen printing so she is able to take her art from the paper and put it onto many other mediums.
Since finding her own style, she has entered into two competitions at her local VAMC, where in the second competition she was able to take a first place ribbon in all three of the categories she had entered.
Audrey : "Someone at the second competition had came up to me and congratulated me for getting a hat trick, I looked at the individual a bit confused by what they had said and then verbally expressed my confusion."
They said : " Oh, you haven't heard? You took first place in every category, Congratulations!"
"Needless to say, I was a little shocked."
That second competition helped open a networking door where she was asked to be one of twelve veteran artist to display their work for veterans day at one of the local VFW's later that year.
Audrey mainly uses art as a form of therapy and self expression,
Quote from artist "When I start to draw or paint, once I like... get in the flow of it.. in the moment, the world starts to get a little quieter; my racing thoughts subside a bit, and I let what I feel or have recently felt find it's way so graciously to the paper/canvas. Bonus, since I was never "classically" trained in art, I am not handcuffed to staying within any certain boundary to complete my piece."
Currently, her plan is to start a business in the beginning of 2025 so she is able to start selling her art to the greater public. As well as getting a few pieces ready to submit for the artist installation or artist corner at the Electric Forest music festival in 2025.
