Leslie Kaufman
“Without creativity, no culture could advance and no progress could be made. For an individual, creativity can be a lifeline; for a society, creativity can be a way to save itself from the destruction wrought by the inability to change and adapt to new circumstances.”
Leslie Kaufman started her professional career as a college counselor, and has used those skills for 23 years in her position as president of Philadelphia Sculptors. She holds an M.Ed. in counseling and an M.F.A. from Vermont College of Art.
Leslie has exhibited her sculptures in numerous regional venues, including the Philadelphia Art Alliance, Grounds for Sculpture, and the Wayne Art Center, as well as internationally in Hungary and Germany. She enjoys producing and participating in collaborative, alternative, and public art projects. Through Philadelphia Sculptors, she has originated far-ranging exhibitions of site-specific installations.
Among her other interests, Leslie is in the process of writing a children’s book about a sea monster and is involved in animal welfare and environmental work, including a project to preserve the last remaining “wilderness” in her Northern Liberties neighborhood. She feels especially fulfilled when she sees how art can be used to help provide new perspectives on social and environmental problems and views her own art as turning in those directions.
How do you define creativity?
“Creativity is life. It is spirit. It is finding an original way to respond to pretty much anything. Creativity isn’t linear – the process bounces around a lot, and even when it arrives at a product, the end result might just be a new starting place. The process of creativity is like the germination of a seed – it first needs to be planted and watered, but then needs time for it to grow. It needs warmth and nurturing, and can be destroyed by cold and neglect. Without creativity, no culture could advance and no progress could be made. For an individual, creativity can be a lifeline; for a society, creativity can be a way to save itself from the destruction wrought by the inability to change and adapt to new circumstances.”
Biography:
Raised on Long Island, NY, I have now lived in Philadelphia long enough to have completely lost any trace of a Long Island accent and to happily identify as a Philadelphian (although minus the love of cheese steaks.) I started my professional career as a college counselor, and have used those skills for 23 years in my position as president of Philadelphia Sculptors. After completing my M.Ed. in counseling, I returned to school and got my M.F.A. from Vermont College of Art. I have exhibited my sculptures in numerous regional venues, including the Philadelphia Art Alliance, Grounds for Sculpture, and the Wayne Art Center, to name a few, and have also exhibited internationally in Hungary and Germany. I enjoy producing and participating in collaborative, alternative, and public art projects, and through Philadelphia Sculptors, have originated far-ranging exhibitions of site-specific installations. I am also in the process of writing a children’s book about a sea monster.
My interests are not limited to the arts, and I try to compensate for the increasingly frequent barrage of attacks that are engulfing the planet. I am working on a project to preserve the last remaining “wilderness” in my Northern Liberties neighborhood and I support animal welfare and environmental organizations. I am especially fulfilled when I see how art can be used to help provide new perspectives on social and environmental problems and see my art as turning in those directions.