A snarling hyena bares her teeth in defiance, a crown resting atop her head. The viewer doesn't know what the hyena's looking at, but her power is unmistakable as she stands out vividly from the swirling background of teals and greens.
The hyena, along with four other acrylic paintings created by NMU alumna Kelly Lynne Figueiredo, ‘94 BS, will snarl her way through ArtPrize after being accepted into this year's show.
The full five-piece installation is called “The Matriarch” and explores themes of power, authority, wisdom, strength and presence. The installation includes the hyena, titled “Unannounced Authority," a bonobo wearing a yellow dress and a floral crown, a mother elephant with her calf, a lioness and the same bonobo bestowing the crown upon the hyena's head.
While displaying artwork during ArtPrize is a thing to be proud of for any artist, Figueiredo has the extra pride in knowing she's been accepted after only calling herself a full-time artist for two years.
“It's really incredible. It's surreal, actually,” she said. “Starting later in life, it's really exciting to start a new chapter that you never thought of.”
Figueiredo is new to the art world because she spent almost three decades working in local government, after earning her degree from NMU in public administration.
“But after 29 years of employment, I did feel like my voice was no longer valued in the same way,” Figueiredo said, adding this feeling of losing her voice played a role in the installation's creation. “It triggered a connection to a misunderstood hyena, the roles of women and the valuable roles we have in nurturing and protecting and motherhood.”
She was able to find her voice again through painting, with her retirement providing an avenue for her artistic side to blossom. Her new chapter began in 2024 in a small painting class.
“I just fell in love with it, and I've been doing it ever since,” she said.
At first, Figueiredo was painting as a retirement hobby, but she soon found herself diving headfirst into this new world, constantly drawing or painting, fulfilling this new need to create art. Then one day, she stumbled upon a co-op art gallery in Lansing and ended up joining it. Soon after, she joined the Mid-Michigan Art Guild and submitted "Unannounced Authority” to a guild exhibit, ultimately winning the Gallerist Award. She also submitted the piece to the digital gallery Camelback and received its Artist of the Month award.
Then came ArtPrize, and she thought to herself, “why not.”
Just two years after beginning her journey as an artist, Figueiredo found herself accepted into one of the largest juried art displays in the country. And all of it started, she said, with a decision to attend NMU.
“Traveling seven hours from home to attend Northern on my own was a brave, life-altering decision, but it gave me professional direction, confidence, resilience and lifelong friendships,” she said. “I still to this day am very close to my group of friends from 30 years ago. Back then, we were commonly referred to as ‘the NMU chicks,' and we still go by that name today when we get together.”
Figueiredo took a drawing class at Northern, but never pursued it much beyond little projects here and there. She graduated in 1994 with a BS in Public Administration and went on to have a long career in public service, working for a Michigan township for nearly 29 years.
During those roughly three decades of public service, she was involved in creating her town's first website, received an award for creating the town's first rental inspection program and was involved in a variety of community activities.
Now, that same innovative thinker has picked up a paint brush, and, ironically enough, will see her work displayed for the duration of ArtPrize in Grand Rapids City Hall, her two careers connecting by chance.
Becoming a full-time artist has changed her life in many ways, Figueiredo said.
“I've become quite passionate about it. It taught me to learn to see things different, to see value differently, what's important in something,” she said. “I notice the light and shadows. It's changed my perspective on everything.”
But that perspective, while always evolving, was built during her years at NMU, where she learned how to trust herself.
“The education I received at Northern helped me realize that this degree doesn't limit to one career, one path,” she said. “It gave a foundation to take some risks, some chances, remain curious, and continue to learn and try different things.”
New endeavors can be scary, Figueiredo said, but they can also be the beginning of something great.
“Putting myself out there as a basically self-taught artist, I think Northern played a huge role in not being afraid to do that,” she said. “Going (to Northern) alone was intimidating in the beginning. Then it felt like home.”
“The Matriarch” will be on display in Grand Rapids City Hall for the duration of ArtPrize, which runs from Sept. 18-Oct 3.
Voting opens on Sept. 18.
