Empowering Artists & Enriching Collecting Experiences
At Kula Fine Art, our mission as a dedicated fine art agency and art advisory firm is to empower artists and enrich collecting experiences by providing unparalleled expertise and services to artists and collectors.
The person behind Kula Fine Art – Krissy Kula
Currently residing in Austin, TX, Krissy Kula was born in the suburbs of Chicago and grew up in both the Chicago area and Telluride, CO. Kula attended Columbia College Chicago where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and an Arts Management Minor. While producing art, Kula found inspiration from abstract and painterly photographs leading to her project (Un)Photograph. This series utilized experimental photographic techniques to create abstract paintings, sculptures, and installations. (Un)Photograph was published in “Happy Accidents” (2014), F-Stop magazine, Kula was selected as the featured artist for the issue. Kula also produced a series of photographs that were of dystopian-like landscapes created almost entirely out of disposed magazines. Kula’s photograph Tornado was one of the first artworks added to Chicago’s Wabash Arts Corridor in 2014. Although Kula loves being an artist, her real passion is curating art. Her first curated exhibition, Discarded: The Afterlife of Everyday Technology, was one of “The 18 Best Shows in Chicago Art Galleries” (2014), Chicago Magazine. In 2015, Kula opened The Observatory Gallery within an 6,000 square foot artist loft. Her gallery hosted many young aspiring artists, curators, event coordinators, and the creators of the Chicago DIY Community. Kula returned to Telluride in 2018, only anticipating to live there through the ski season, but that quickly turned into 4.5 years. During her time in Telluride, Kula worked at Slate Gray Gallery where she quickly worked her way up to Gallery Director. As the Director, Kula had the opportunity to curate exhibitions featuring internationally known artists Silvio Porzionato, Gil Bruvel, Maggie Taylor, Jerry Uelsmann, and more. Over the past decade, Kula has curated 29 exhibitions of which included over 100 artists total. As of 2023, Krissy Kula has opened Kula Fine Art to provide unparalleled expertise and services to artists, collectors, and enthusiasts alike.
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2022
Colors of Colorado. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Reminiscence. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Navalny | Daniel Roher. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Efflorescence | Dana Flores & Christopher Peter. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Ment(or/ee) | Gil Bruvel & David Davis. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Re-Wired | Judith Kohin. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Doorways of Ominous Portent | Maggie Taylor & Jerry Uelsmann. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Sealed in History | Amy Van Winkle. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Local’s Loop. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Sheer Imagination. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Rendering the West | Topher Straus. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Così Splendido e Vero | Silvio Porzionato. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Intuitive Alchemy | Karen Scharer. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
2021
Telluride Unveiled | Ryan Bonneau. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Expanse | Mark Bowles. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
1,000 Mile Journey | Fran J Nagy. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
Escape | Katherine Lott & Molly Perrault. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
True West | Felice House. Curator. Slate Gray Gallery. Telluride, CO
2017
Celebration of Life. Co-Curator. The Observatory Gallery. Chicago, IL
2016
This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things. Curator. The Observatory Gallery. Chicago, IL
Face-to-Face. Curator. The Observatory Gallery. Chicago, IL
DIY Show 5 Bux. Curator. The Observatory Gallery. Chicago, IL
Mode. Co-Curator. The Observatory Gallery. Chicago, IL
2015
Constructed. Curator. The Observatory Gallery. Chicago, IL
Canvas? Curator. The Observatory Gallery. Chicago, IL
Photography Meet Painting. Curator. The Observatory Gallery. Chicago, IL
2014
PCN:CO/ACTIVATE. Co-Curator. Elegant Mr. Gallery. Chicago, IL
Discarded: the Afterlife of Everyday Electronics. Curator. The Arcade Gallery. Chicago, IL
Interlacing Threads: Traditional Techniques. Assistant Curator. The Hokin Gallery. Chicago, IL
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2019
Rainbow Show. Telluride Arts HQ Gallery. Telluride, CO
2018
Pushed Processes: Reworking the Photographic Medium. Curated by Allison Carey. The Hokin Project. Chicago, IL
2014
Crossing the Line. Degenerate Art Gallery. Chicago, IL
Happy Accidents | Featured Artist Kristen Kula. F-Stop. Chicago, IL
Best of the BFAs. LATITUDE. Chicago, IL
PCN: CO/ACTIVATE. Elegant Mr. Gallery. Chicago, IL
One-Year Anniversary Show. Degenerate Art Gallery. Chicago, IL
Manifest: Photography BFA/BA Exhibition. Columbia College Chicago. Chicago, IL
Outsider. Degenerate Art Gallery. Chicago, IL
2013
Black, White, and Gray. Degenerate Art Gallery. Chicago, IL
Second Exhibition. Degenerate Art Gallery. Chicago, IL
Degenerate Art Gallery Grand Opening. Degenerate Art Gallery. Chicago, IL
Spring 2013 Flash Show. Gallery Pixelated. Chicago, IL
2012
Fall 2012 Flash Show. Gallery Pixelated. Chicago, IL
PCN Fall Show. Columbia College Chicago. Chicago, IL
Visual Arts Competition. Union League Civic & Arts Foundation, Chicago, IL
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2022
Slate Gray Oct: “Reminiscence” & “Colors of Colorado”! Telluride Inside and Out. Susan Viebrock. October 3, 2022
Slate Gray South: “Efflorescence” & “Place to Place”. Telluride Inside and Out. Susan Viebrock. August 30, 2022
Judith Kohin Transitions to Full-Time Artist. Telluride Daily Planet. Eva Thomas. August 17, 2022
Slate Gray South: Ment(or/ee), Featuring Gil Bruvel & Davis. Telluride Inside and Out. Susan Viebrock. August 1, 2022
Slate Gray South July: “Doorways of Ominous Portent”. Telluride Inside and Out. Susan Viebrock. July 4, 2022
Slate Gray South: Amy Van Winkle is “Sealed in History”. Telluride Inside and Out. Susan Viebrock July 4, 2022
A New Slate for Artists. Shelter Magazine. Leslie Vreeland. Summer 2022 Issue
Slate Gray: “Sheer Imagination,” Group Show Up Now! Telluride Inside and Out. Susan Viebrock. May 24, 2022
“Rendering The West,” Featuring The Work Of Topher Straus! Telluride Inside and Out. Susan Vieborck. February 28, 2022
2021
Slate Gray: “Escape,” (with Mixed-Media Artists Lott & Perrault)! Telluride Inside and Out. Susan Viebrock. August 1, 2021
2014
Interview with artist Kristen Kula. F-Stop: A Photography Magazine. Christy Karpinski. October 1, 2014
21 Art Galleries to See in Chicago. Chicago Magazine. Jason Foumberg. February 25, 2014
The 18 Best Shows in Chicago Art Galleries. Chicago Magazine. Jason Foumberg. January 29, 2014
The 20 Best Shows at Art Galleries in January. Chicago Magazine. Jason Foumberg. December 27, 2013
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2014-Present
Wabash Arts Corridor. Public Art Award. Chicago, IL
2015
ELEVATE. Art + Activism. Public Art Award. Columbia College Chicago. Chicago, IL
2014
Launch Invitational Residency. Chicago Artists Coalition. June 2014. Chicago, IL
Greg Cameron Internship Award. Winter/Spring 2014. Museum of Contemporary Art. Chicago, IL
ELEVATE. Art + Activism. Public Art Award. Columbia College Chicago. Chicago, IL
2013
Art + Activism Micro-funding Grant. December 2013. Columbia College Chicago. Chicago, IL
2012
3rd Place in Photography. Visual Arts Competition. Union League Civic & Arts Foundation, Chicago, IL
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2014
An Artistic Discovery. Juror. Skokie Public Library. Skokie, IL
Curate, Design, Install with DEPS. The Arcade Gallery. Chicago, IL
2013
Conversations on Curating: Proposals, Pedagogy, and Practice. Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago, IL
CV
Select Curations
Discarded: The Afterlife of Everyday Electronics
Così Splendido e Vero | Silvio Porzionato
Doorways of Ominous Portent | Maggie Taylor & Jerry Uelsmann
Ment(or/ee) | Gil Bruvel & David Davis