Kelly Knapp graduated with the class of 1998—one of our best-connected classes! It was at the most recent (pre-pandemic) Global Signature Event Series event in New York that Kelly mentioned she was working late on the Bergdorf Goodman window display! 

We kept in touch with Kelly, and when we learned about her current assignment as the Art Director at Madison Square Garden’s Sphere (one of the coolest upcoming entertainment venues in the world!), we knew our students would love to hear about it!

"It takes a lot of listening to know what next step to take, a lot of networking and telling people you're available for creative work, a lot of trying things that feel out of your comfort zone and perhaps agreeing to do things you're not quite sure you can pull off, because most of the time you'll find you can pull that very thing off. Trust that one thing leads to the next because, with enough patience, you'll find it always does." - Kelly Knapp '98

Kelly recently spoke to our middle school students in Skye Fiedler’s (’96) art class about her journey. Kelly, like many other alumni, didn't leave LAS and follow a direct trajectory to get where she is now, so we loved hearing more of her story!

From studying fine art and landscape architecture to travelling around the world working in the outdoors, Kelly is open about her rollercoaster ride to finding a career many artists would envy. We were so happy to hear that this crazy journey began with LAS. Kelly said, "If I had been in a different school I would not have grown the way I did at LAS. The hands-on academic approach, the ability to learn a language outside of the classroom, the opportunities to push the bounds of athletic prowess, and a supportive faculty, staff and peers gave me the confidence I had always needed."

We love having alumni share their experience with our community, and our students were thrilled to hear Kelly talk about her adventure and her present project!