ABOUT THE ARTIST Singapore born visual artist, Kemlyn Tan Bappe is Peranakan, a culture that is an inter-marriage between the indigenous non-Muslim Malay and immigrant Chinese population during the 15th and 16th Centuray in the Straits of Malacca. She has lived in the United States since 1987. She takes great pleasure in having an East meets West dialogue work in her work as a professional visual artist and a teaching artist. She has dyslexia, a learning disability and emphasizes the importance of celebrating our diverse gifts. She also She is married to Ed Bappe, a native of Iowa and resides in Mount Pleasant, Iowa with their three children, Catherine, Dorothy and Dietrich. Tan Bappe's work is exhibited statewide and internationally. Tan Bappe is a teaching artist for World of Difference and VSA arts of Iowa. She is also a recipient of VSA Teaching Artist Fellowship 2009/10. EDUCATION & WORK EXPERIENCE Methodist Girls' School, Singapore Hong Kong International School Singapore American School Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, Baylor University, Waco, Texas Studied under Karl Umlauf, Professor & Artist in Residence Master of Divinity from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas Actor, Stage Designer & Choreographer, "The Company," Fort Worth Actor, Stage Designer & Choreographer, "Face to Face," Birmingham, Alabama Director of Creative Arts & Volunteers, The Center for Urban Missions, Birmingham Kids' Zone, YMCA, Toledo, Ohio Youth & Creative Arts, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Artistic Director, Galleria Imago Dei, Fairfield PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Metro Arts Alliance VSA arts of Iowa World of Difference ARTIST STATEMENT My faith is an integral part of my work. I desire to reflect the beauty of God's creation and within each person. In each piece of art, I hope to reflect a little essence of the divine. Art is about sight and consideration. When you explore the world around you, as you consider a piece of art in front of you, look and look again. Ask, is your heart touched or moved in anyway? Does this broaden your mind or perspective? Are we inspired to become better human beings? What is the artist saying to you? Art is my voice. Art is your voice. What do you have to say to yourself, your community, your world? I was born to be an artist. I love exploring the world within and out and responding through movement, language and the visual. I love it when my brush dances across the surface of my paintings and splashes color all over it. EXHIBITION RECORD 2005 February: Des Moines Women's Club Art Show March: Grand Prize & 3rd Place at the Des Moines Botanical Center Sunday Sketchers May: "Gardens," Open Show at the Polk County Heritage Gallery June: "Iowa Exhibited XX," Juried Art Show at the Polk County Heritage Gallery July: Iowa State Fair, Fine Arts Juried Show August: "Poskard Pameran," Bugis Avenue, Singapore ArtFest '05, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd AACI Group Show, Polk County Heritage Gallery October: AACI Group Show, Capital Square November: SAS Alumni Art Show & Auction, Singapore December: "Starving Artists Show," Verboten Art & Design 2006 February: 2nd Place at the Des Moines Women's Club Art Show in the professional division. March: Solo Show at the Scottish Rite Park Gallery April: Drawing Workshops Fine Arts Day at Jensen Elementary April: AACI Group Show at Capital Square April: Solo Show at Verboten Art & Design May: Joint Show at the Blank Park Zoo with Lakisha Aller May Curator for the Iowa Asian Heritage Festival Art Show, Des Moines June: Joint Show at the Breakroom Cyber Cafe' with Brad Roth & Wendy Rounds: June: Iowa Exhibited XXI, Juried Show at the Polk County Heritage Gallery, Des Moines July: Pig-Casso Art Show, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines July: Invitational Show, Art-A-Fair, Des Moines Women's Club Art Sale, Hoyt Sherman Place August: Juried Show, Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Show, Des Moines September: Solo Show at St. John's Lutheran Church September: Invitational, Group Show at Iowa's Latino Festival at the Blank Park Zoo September-November: Acrylic Painting, The Blank Park Zoo October: "Art & Spirituality," Mosaic Diversity Conference, Iowa State University, Ames Aesthetics Conference, Des Moines Dia de Los Muertos Event,Des Moines : Gesture Drawing Class, The Art Store, Des Moines November: Greater Des Moines Exhibited, Juried Show, Heritage Gallery "I Give Up" Art Show & Auction, Fort Mason, San Francisco Visual Arts & Creative Movement Faculty, National Creative Arts Festival, Asheville, North Carolina December "85@85," Juried Show at Mi Arte Gallery, Coral Gables, Florida Solo exhibitioin, Northland General Store, Des Moines 2007 January: Governor's Inaugural Art Exhibition, Des Moines February: Des Moines Women's Club, 99th Annual Art Exhibit, Hoyt Sherman Place Iowa State Capital, State Representative Miller's Small Works Exhibit March: Solo Show at Andy's Frame Shop, Des Moines, Artist Reception April:"Get Wild About ACEOs," Group Invitational Show, Andy's Frame Shop Solo Show at the Ritual Cafe', Des Moines Village Bean Juried Art Show, East Village, Des Moines May: "CelebrAsian" Invitational Fine Arts Exhibit, Iowa Asian Alliance, Waterworks Park July: MAAD Day Art Expo, Red Dot Museum, Singapore August: ALA (Association of Latino Artists) Group Show, Witter Gallery, Storm Lake September: ALA Group Show, Grand View College, Des Moines September: First Presbyterian Church Group Show, Mount Pleasant, Iowa November: Two Rivers Juried Art Expo, Hy-Vee Hall, Des Moines 2008 March: Des Moines Women's Club Annual Show, Des Moines, Iowa May:Imago Dei: Celebrating the Imago of God, Group Show with Represented Artists, The Avenue Gallery June: "Her Own Voice", 6-Woman Show, Ankeny Art Center 2009 August: Kemlyn Tan Bappe: Beyond the Sea, solo exhibition, Ankeny Art Center, Ankeny, Iowa Iowa State Fair Juried Fine Art Exhibition, Des Moines, Iowa September: 2009/10 VSA Teaching Artist Fellowshop, Washington DC Group Art Exhibition, First Presbyterian Church, Mount Pleasant, Iowa November: Metro Art Expo, Des Moines, Iowa 2010 March: "Spring Into Art," VSA of Iowa Artists Show, Kenneth Paul Gallery, Des Moines GALLERIES Art Dive, Des Moines Fair World Gallery, West Des Moines Mountain Memories, Southside, Des Moines Octagon Center for the Arts, Ames 
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