Forms part of the Marian Wood Kolisch Oral History Collection.
Collection is open for research.
Gift of Marian W. Kolisch, April 1988 (Lib. Acc. 18764).
Lee Kelly was born in McCall, Idaho, in 1932. In 1945, his family moved to Portland, Oregon. He studied art at Vanport College, which later became Portland State University. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and worked as a cartographer. After he returned to Portland in 1954, he continued studying art at the Museum School, which later became the Pacific Northwest College of Art. He became an artist and sculptor, and his works are on display in many cities in the Pacific Northwest.
Forms part of the Marian Wood Kolisch Oral History Collection.
Oral history interview with Lee Kelly, by Marian W. Kolisch, SR 1047, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with Lee Kelly was conducted by Marian W. Kolisch at Kelly's home in Oregon City, Oregon, on August 18, 1987. The interview was part of a series conducted by Oregon photographer Marian W. Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians.
In the interview, Kelly briefly discusses his early life in McCall, Idaho, and his experience in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He talks about studying art at Vanport College, which later became Portland State University, and at the Museum School, which later became the Pacific Northwest College of Art. He discusses his art and sculpture, including working with metal and his East Asian influences. He talks about the history of using paint in sculpture, his creative process, and creating art for commissions. He closes the interview by discussing the challenges in making a living as an artist.
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and Lee Kelly. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted,