Meet Kelsey Montague, Internationally Renowned Mural Artist
“I’m an artist that is very interested in exploring how public art, interactive art, and social media intersect. My murals specifically invite people into a piece and then invite them to share their experience online. I believe that art should not be separated from the human experience. Instead, the human experience should have a hand in creating the art itself.” – Kelsey Montague, Street Artist
How It Started
Like many artists who become a popular sensation, Kelsey and her business partner Courtney wanted to create murals to simply supply the world with art that everyday people could interact with. The interaction with their murals initially came in the form of an incredible amount of social media posts, especially when Taylor Swift posed in front of a mural they painted on the wall of the Laughing Man Foundation’s coffee shop in Manhattan in 2014. Once Swift shared this on Instagram, people came in droves to take the same picture starring themselves.
Kelsey began painting her murals to feed a passion she had for bringing joy to the mundane. She notes, “Honestly, I really think first and foremost about how to provide moments of magic to people just going about their day on the street. I don’t think we have enough magic in our lives, and that is what I’m determined to provide.” Kelsey started the #WhatLiftsYou global campaign in 2015, visiting several cities in the United States to create her incredible interactive wall murals to help inspire and unite art and community. Her murals encourage people to step into the artwork, become part of the drawing, then post the pictures on social media.
Art and Experiential-Marketing Partnerships
With the growing popularity of her street art and the magically engaging invitation that whispered to viewers to interact with it, it was no surprise that corporate America came calling. Brands and cities began to seek Kelsey out to help them share their messages through her art. Kelsey’s street art has helped with place branding projects in cities such as San Diego, San Antonio, and New Orleans, to name a few, and she has worked with brands such as United Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, GE Lighting, and Lindt. Also, she was one of the featured artists as part of the Experiential Marketing Activations at the 2016 SXSW Conference.
Kelsey emphasizes that as with all creative partners, the art should stand alone and engage naturally, letting the brand be comfortably and organically attached. Pairing naturally sought-after art with a brand and incorporating that brand’s ideas makes marketing more authentic and less like a billboard. The artist’s vision, however, must always come first, Kelsey notes. “The best partnerships always make sure the piece speaks to people first and foremost as something fun and cool to be a part of. The piece has to pull you in immediately. And then, after the person likes the art, they will notice the brand that sponsored it,” says Kelsey. “We always provide a hashtag specific to the brand on the piece they commission. We’ve noticed engagement is huge when this happens, and people leave feeling like they got something from a cool brand instead of feeling like they just saw another advertisement.”
Kelsey notes, “I share my work on all channels but focus heavily on Instagram. I really enjoy making my account another place for people to escape to.” Paying close attention to the intention of the artist is crucial—again, ensuring an organic and symbiotic relationship is far more important than the amount of likes or shares received. Kelsey really wants people to step into her murals and feel like “a living piece of art.” Respecting that vision and embracing her desire has made for some great partnerships so far.
