| Kelly Gough was born in Scarborough, Ontario the 6th of 7 children. Her parents say that she drew on anything she could get her hands on, including – to their dismay – the family Bible. Kelly joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1983 as a communications technician and later went on to obtain her Master's Degree in Social Work. After working primarily as a military social worker for 22 years, Kelly succumbed to the challenges of her work and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Depression in 2001. In 2005, Kelly and her husband moved to Vancouver, BC. Her need to gradually accept and reconnect with her emotions coupled with the discovery of a new west coast lifestyle made the pursuit her life long dream to become an artist inevitable. Through her work as an assemblage and performance artist and her online blog “PTSD is Not My Fault”, Kelly challenges the many misconceptions of mental illness. Kelly Gough’s artwork is not only a fundamental part of her own psychological healing, but also provides a social commentary acknowledging the fragmented and deconstructed emotions of a society heavily stimulated by media and commercialism. Woven into the themes of her artwork are her beliefs about feminism and the importance of supporting awareness of women’s issues including domestic violence. Kelly’s background in military social work has given her work an authentic and credible voice that is able to communicate in ways that encourage engagement and interaction. |
| 2010 BFA Emily Carr Institute of Design 2006 Fine Arts Diploma North Island College 1999 MSW Carlton University Completed 1996 BSW University of Victoria |
| 2009 Me and My Shadows, Muir Gallery, Courtenay BC 2008 In Kandahar Fields, Royal Canadian Legion Courtenay, BC |
| 2010 Emergence: Mixed Metaphors - Elliot Louis Gallery, Vancouver BC 2010 International Sculpture Exhibition of Outstanding Graduates - Beijing, China 2010 Friendship Show, Comox Valley, Vancouver Island 2010 Emily Carr Grad Show, Vancouver 2010 Undone: Emily Carr Grad Show Comox Valley Art Gallery, Vancouver Island 2010 Through the Looking Glass, Comox Valley Art Gallery, Vancouver Island 2009 North Island College Art Events Fall 2004 to Fall 2009 2009 Wearable Art Show, Comox Valley Art Gallery, Vancouver Island 2008 Merkin and Codpiece Show, Comox Valley Art Gallery, Vancouver Island 2006 NIC Grad Art Show, Comox Valley Art Gallery, Vancouver Island 2006 Comox Valley Arts Council Banner Project, Vancouver Island 2006 Muir Gallery Achey Breakey Heart, Courtney, Vancouver Island 2005 Comox Marina Originals Only, Vancouver Island 2005 Comox Valley Arts Council Banner Project, Vancouver Island 2004 Parksville Small in Nature, Vancouver Island |
| 2009 Lost and Found, Seal Bay Park, Vancouver Island 2007 Strait Jacket Walk, Downtown Courtenay, Vancouver Island 2006-2007 Reader, Noon Hour Poetry - Muir Gallery, Vancouver Island 2005-2009 Vocalist, All in All Pink Floyd Tribute Band 2001-2004 Vocalist, Time Well Wasted |
| 2010 Art Talk: Lost and Found, Comox Valley Art Gallery, Vancouver Island 2010 Through the Looking Glass (Mental Health Show), Comox Valley Art Gallery, Vancouver Island 2009 NIC Art Experience Day 2006-2007 Volunteer, Muir Gallery, Vancouver Island 2004-2009 NIC Art Events Committee Member |