Kelly Towles

Kelly Towles has literally painted the town since moving to the Nation’s Capital in the late 1990s. His murals, showcased on area buildings and garage doors, and paintings, displayed in local galleries and businesses, are electrically playful. From partnerships with DC Brau Brewing Company, Graffiato, Toki Underground, and D.C. United, to working with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Greater Washington Creative Community Initiative to revitalize neighborhoods using his creative energy, he is focused on sharing his passion for street art while making an impact on the local community.

Towles has shown locally in Washington at the Adamson Gallery and the Hierarchy Gallery. His large-scale installations include exhibitions in Manifest Hope, Manifest Equality, Re:form School, and Submerge. Recently, he worked with Sweetgreen to provide artwork for their Sweetlife music and food festival and the Georgetown Business Improvement District as a contributor to GLOW. Towles is also a curator, bringing together shows for the Art Yards Project at Navy Yards and exhibitions at Adamson Gallery, Curated Gallery, Transformer Gallery, and Washington Project for the Arts. Additionally, he is the co-owner of DC Meet Market, a community market that supports the District’s small businesses and creative community. Most recently, he organized POW! WOW! DC, an international art movement that celebrates culture, music, and art in cities around the world.