Public Art and Community Work
Part of the job of being an artist is to impact others. Often the comes with simply creating work that makes people happy and that they want in their homes, but for Krista it goes beyond that. She is moved to user her creativity to improve society.
Community Unity
In response to the rise of violence by white supremacist and division in our country with the election of Donald Trump, Krista and an activist friend collaborated to develop iconic yard signs that have sprung up all over town. The signs are meant to invite unity in the community for people of all skin colors, genders, sexual orientations, religious beliefs. The signs reject racism, misogony, and all forms of discrimination. The need to act in the face of cruelty and violence became even stronger on August 11 and 12, 2017 when the KKK and other white nationalists groups came to our town of Charlottesville, VA. We’ve worked hard to make these signs visible in Charlottesville and beyond and were thrilled that they were used in non-violent protest during the Women's March in 2018 and the march from Charlottesville to Washington, DC to confront white supremacy. Read more about Community Unity efforts and activities and follow us on Facebook.
Art in Healthcare
Krista’s work has been acquired by the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center at The University of Virginia, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, University of Virginia Medical Center, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System, and the Women's Center at Culpeper Medical Center.
Martha Jefferson Hospital exhibits “Freedom”, a portrait of two free range, sassy hens in the lobby near the neonatal care unit.
These paintings represent the downtown Charlottesville area and hopefully help bring some hope and sunshine to patients, family and hospital staff. They are located in the UVA Medical Center lobby near the gift shop on the first floor of the main hospital building.
Serving Scientific Research
When Krista is not painting, she applies her creative skills at the National Institutes of Health on a communications team that creates access to the latest life-saving infectious and allergic disease research and technology for scientists and the public. She works on the user experience team to ensure that researchers and the public can find what they need. She also creates scientific and patient education illustrations. Her work can be found on the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website and Flickr site. In addition, some of her works have appeared on the side of buses, in patient brochures, in public campaigns, and more. These are just a few examples below:
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HERD IMMUNITY
This image is one of the most commonly used graphics to depict the impact of vaccination to not only protect yourself from disease but to protect those who cannot get immunized because of age or health related issues. It has been used by PBS, Vox, The American Academy of Pediatrics, and many more. This image was even placed on the side of a bus that was going into communities to vaccinate people.
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THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
This is part of a series of cards explaining the cells and other parts of the immune system as well as the microscopic pathogens that attack humans everyday. Each of these cards is available in English and Spanish and has been used to support scientific articles and on social media to help the public understand the science.
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MOSQUITO-CARRIED DISEASES
Mosquitoes cause more human disease and death than any other animal. This illustration was used in social media and print to promote awareness of mosquito-borne diseases.
Giving to Charity
Every year Krista chooses one or two local charities to donate her work at auction to raise money for members of her community in need and to support the arts. In recent years, she has given to the following organizations:
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WOMEN’S INITIATIVE
The mission of The Women’s Initiative is to provide women with effective counseling, social support and education so they can transform life challenges into positive change and growth. All women in our community will have access to innovative, effective, evidence-based mental health care.
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THE HAVEN
Motivated by radical hospitality, we strive to be the point of entry for people seeking stable housing. We open the doors wide for any and everyone, no matter their circumstances. Every day, our trained staff and dedicated community volunteers come together, working side by side to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring for our neighbors.
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SECOND STREET GALLERY
SSG's primary mission is to enliven Virginia through access to the best in contemporary art and artists and to inspire new ways of thinking, seeing, and doing. To this end, SSG promotes contemporary artists through the presentation of their work in a professional gallery and encourages an appreciation of contemporary art and culture by educating the public through exhibitions, lectures, workshops, classes, tours, and publications.