MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie Service League and the Colquitt County Arts Center have announced the hiring of Kathy Nelson as director of the Arts Center’s Kaleidoscope Gallery.

Nelson was born and raised in Moultrie, studied fine arts at ABAC and Atlanta College of Art, and received additional training while working as an apprentice for the prolific artist Philip Lekki, according to a press release from the groups. 

She spent time in both Atlanta and Jacksonville curating galleries, teaching private art classes to both children and adults, and developing her own style as an artist, and she returned to Moultrie in 2006. Since then, she has taken a lead in many of the Colquitt County Arts Center’s after-school instructional programs. 

As an artist herself, she draws and works in ceramics, but keeps an emphasis in Impressionistic acrylic painting, and takes inspiration from Henri Matisse and Vincent van Gogh. Many of her works are on display at the Colquitt County Arts Center for public viewing.

Nelson has years of experience in art education and especially enjoys working with children. Since joining the Colquitt County Arts Center as Kaleidoscope director, she has been working to revitalize the Kaleidoscope Gallery and is looking forward to instructing second- and fourth-grade students this fall.