Bio

Callie Humphrey. artistic director, founder

Concrete = Canvas emerged from the heart and mind of Los Angelite-turned-Chicagoan-turned-nomad Callie Humphrey after an inspired conversation about the arts world in underdeveloped countries and communities with then stranger, now collaborator, Michael Lindenmayer (Caregiver Relief Fund). Curiosity led to outrage, outrage led to motivation, which then led to research, culminating in Concrete = Canvas, which strives to serve as a platform to lead social change and consciousness around the globe.

A graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Arts Management, Callie has delved into several realms of the arts, from curating and installing gallery exhibitions to producing events and managing local filmmakers, musicians and artists in both Chicago and her native Los Angeles. Growing up in an artistic household with father and world-class drummer Ralph Humphrey; multi-talented mother, artist and entrepreneur of all mediums JoAnn; and the ever-inspiring musician, DJ, photographer, and science buff brother Parris- she says that from day one, “all I knew, could see, taste, smell, touch, and hear… was art.”

Painter, photographer, jewelry-designer, drummer, yogi, aspiring entrepreneur and world-traveler, Callie has also had her hand at social work and activism, inspiring this initiative to combine her passion for the arts with her desire to achieve social justice and a cooperative global community. Callie has volunteered in New Orleans during post-Katrina clean up, at women’s shelters, juvenile detention centers and food pantries in Los Angeles, as well as several non-profits and art and music festivals nationwide. These experiences, combined with recent travels to Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Indonesia and Argentina have reinvigorated her calling into civic engagement for the betterment of life throughout cities and populations world-wide.

Kimi Lewis. graphic designer

Kim Lewis is the graphic design ninja behind C=C. She grew up in Los Angeles and found legions of inspiration in the various Latin American murals around the city. Upon graduation from Otis College of Art and Design with a degree in Illustration and Graphic Design, she has worked with companies including Disney, MTV, Venus Gillette, and Nike. Joining the C=C team was a no-brainer for Kim as she has experienced the concrete desolation of Los Angeles neighborhoods like Vernon that could greatly benefit from the uplifting affects that a vibrant mural could do for the community. “Vernon, and countless neighborhoods like it, could go from drab, run-down industrial complexes to a colorful and stimulating, coveted part of the greater Los Angeles community with a little help from C=C.”

Currently working as a freelance designer in Portland, Oregon, Kim intends to spread her talent across the globe with her dedication to these artistic interventions. All the design behind the curtain is thanks to her two talented hands…Well, her right hand, mostly.