About This Episode

As we continue to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, No Kid Hungry is telling the stories of what children faced during the crisis - and the incredible people working to feed them. Working with local artists in cities across the country, NKH’s Rebuilding campaign created a series of five micro-documentaries and murals in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Detroit, New York, and Washington, D.C. to showcase the stories of local children’s thoughts and feelings about life during the pandemic and their hopes for the future into public works of art. In this episode of “Add Passion and Stir,” host Billy Shore and Share Our Strength’s CMO, Pamela Taylor connect with Désirée Kelly, the artist that created the Rebuilding mural featured in Detroit, MI. Kelly, a Detroit-native known for her distinctive style of storytelling through portraits with a mixture of “street art” & traditional oil technique, describes the experience of sharing her community's story: “It meant so much to me being a Detroiter and representing the community...to finally have the voice to be able to speak for everyone visually.” Giving “voice” to the stories of those acutely impacted by COVID was an important consideration for the campaign. Taylor noted that NKH worked exclusively with artists of color to share the story of Black and Brown communities, “We wanted to uplift those that we knew had faced challenges in ways that had been exacerbated. Identifying artists of color to talk with the children and to hear their stories and who were part of their community...to have that connection was so important to us.”

Resources and Mentions:

Campaign Rebuilding Detroit Mural Desiree Kelly

Désirée  Kelly

Artist

Désirée  Kelly is an award winning artist and a native to Detroit known for her work as Detroit’s premier Portrait painter. She was introduced to oil painting while studying Graphic Design at Wayne State University. Raised on the Eastside, she became inspired by the environment and developed a style of storytelling through portraits. Her portraits of public icons are historically immersive & reflect on the narrative of her subjects by including artifacts & phrases within each piece. She is known for her distinctive mixture of “street art” & traditional oil technique.

Pamela Taylor

Pamela Taylor

Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

Pamela Taylor is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for Share Our Strength, leading all of the internal and external communications functions for the organization. She also oversees the marketing and branding assets for the marquee campaigns – No Kid Hungry and Cooking Matters. Pamela is an executive-level strategist with more than 20 years’ experience in developing and leading fully-integrated, national marketing and communications initiatives under several leadership roles at Edelman, Ogilvy Worldwide and Porter Novelli. She has a deep experience in leading behavior-change and public health campaigns for government and private sector clients, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at NIH, US Department of Agriculture, Merck, and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Pamela was formerly a Senior Director of Strategy at the Partnership for a Healthier America, the non-profit supporting former First Lady, Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. She has also served a consultant for many organizations to lead clients through diversity, inclusion and equity strategies; and organizational transformation. Pamela serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Paul Public Charter School and is the chairperson of the Marketing, Public Relations and Development committee. She lives in Washington, DC and is an avid sports fan. Pamela earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Hampton University.

Désirée Kelly Art

Désirée Kelly is an award winning artist and a native to Detroit. The former Production Manager/Senior Graphic Designer for The Detroit Metro Times weekly is now known for her work as Detroit’s premiere Portrait painter. She was introduced to oil painting while studying Graphic Design at Wayne State University. Raised on the Eastside, she became inspired by the environment and developed a style of storytelling through portraits. Her portraits of public icons are historically immersive & reflect on the narrative of her subjects by including artifacts & phrases within each piece. She is known for her distinctive mixture of “street art” & traditional oil technique

Rebuilding for Kids

https://www.nokidhungry.org/rebuild

In the wake of the coronavirus, millions of children are still living with hunger. Rebuilding starts with feeding every child, in every community.