KELLI PARK
Freelance writer, photographer, artist, educator, entrepreneur. . .
As an artist, I feel most alive in those wild, faraway places that stay with me long after I’ve left. As a storyteller, I live for exploring connections at all levels, in moments and beyond oceans – among individuals, communities, cultures, natural surroundings, and everything in between.
It is my goal to depict the sense of place for places that I’ve been and places that I’ll go, and to tell the stories of the individuals who are connected to these places.
It is my mission to navigate the dynamic cultural flow that surrounds us while depicting its beauty and cultivating its synergy in our ever-changing world as a writer, a photographer, an artist, and an educator. The places that define individuals, and the individuals who define places, have found their way into my heart, my mind, my soul – always.
KELLI PARK has lived in Maryland, Texas, Alaska, New Hampshire, Maine (Mt. Washington Valley and the Midcoast), Ohio, Montana, Colorado, and California. She loves the stark desert vistas of the Southwest, the rugged granite ledges on the North Atlantic, and the feeling of standing on the edge of something faraway in Cape Breton. Kelli now finds herself in a cottage in Harpswell, Maine, which has more coastline than any other town in the U.S. She can think of nothing better.
ExpertiSE
TESOL
Currently teaching English language classes to refugees from Congo, Angola, and Rwanda using a contextualized translanguaging pedagogical framework. Enrolled in the Master of Science in Education program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at University of Southern Maine. Conditional K-12 ESL Certification. Goals for the future include a collaborative cultural publication called the New Mainers’ Almanac.
Freelance Writer & Photographer
Three years of experience in journalism with specialties in the working waterfront, arts and culture, and human interest stories. Three years of experience in documentary studies with interviews, written narratives, and photography depicting the individual and collective connection to our natural surroundings. Twenty years of experience as a fine art photographer. (Have camera, will travel).
Adult Education
Eight years of experience working in Maine Adult Education as an academic program coordinator; instructor and advisor for high school completion students, college prep students, and English language learners; trip planner and leader for enrichment excursions; grant writer; and community education coordinator. Recently began working as a book group facilitator with adult education students for Maine Humanities Council.
Artist
Twenty five years of experience in fine art with instruction from professional artists in drawing and painting. Bachelor of Arts degree from Marietta College in Studio Art, with a concentration in Photography, and Literature. Favorites include life drawing and oil painting on the coast of Maine (en plein air!).
Wanderlust
My 20’s were spent on the road, near and far, working: on an organic vegetable farm; at a nonprofit arts foundation & cafe in Montana; at a major arts museum in Washington, D.C.; in a bakery in Cleveland; walking dogs in Denver; as a tour leader of the Western U.S.; as a wedding photographer; at two major metropolitan museums in Denver; as an art teacher at a Montessori school, and more!
Experiences
ELL Teacher at Merrymeeting Adult Education
2020 – current
Teach English language learners while helping them work toward academic and professional goals with individualized advising, referrals to resources for support, and contextualized content-based curriculum using translanguaging techniques to enhance learning and cultivate cultural exploration.
Book Group Facilitator at Maine Humanities Council
2020 – current
Book group facilitator for local organizations and educational programs serving adult learners. Literary themes include: identity, heritage, culture, oppression, Maine’s Indigenous People, etc.
Freelance Writer & Photographer
2017 – current
Contributor for The Working Waterfront (Island Institute), The Harpswell Anchor, The Times Record, Maine Boats Homes & Harbors, Fishermen’s Voice, National Fisherman, The Coastal Journal, The Forecaster, and the Life Jackets for Lobsterman Campaign.
Founder of Meridian Travel Co.
2019 – current
Travel planner, consultant, and leader for authentic individual and group experiences based on local and regional culture. Travel experiences are designed to fit the local character of communities, while supporting and revitalizing elements of the local economy and culture.
Adult Education Coordinator at RSU5 Community Programs
2013 – 2020
Duties included developing and coordinating 30+ enrichment classes each semester; working with adult education students to achieve academic and professional goals; planning and leading enrichment trips for groups of teenagers and adults; collaborating with instructors, volunteers, community organizations and local businesses to improve educational offerings.
Let’s create something together.
