Kristin Powers

Biography

Kristin is a Florida native who has lived in Gainesville, Orlando, Dallas, and Seattle. They are a classically trained painter, earning their Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in painting at University of Florida in 2005. They also studied English, with a concentration in Media Theory. They earned their Master’s at the University of Central Florida in 2008 in Film and Digital Media. They have shown in galleries across the country and are part of the University of Florida collection.

Kristin’s artistic interests have always been focused on concepts of surface, interstitial spaces, and the interplay of contrary elements. These are evident in her paintings through the playfulness of colors and forms, where warm and cool colors push and pull the illusion of space. They are fascinated with the alchemy of paint-- the magic of how rudimentary elements of rocks and water can be put on a flat surface to create light, depth, and a feeling of space. From a content perspective, they paint from poetic snippets that trigger visuals or from small ink sketches that test compositions. At their core, they are just a child who loves paint-- the smell, the texture, the possibilities.

Kristin is also a community organizer, event producer, and local foraging educator. They lead local hikes for edible plants and mushrooms. You can join their Foraging and HIking Signal chat by emailing and asking for an invitation. They are active as a volunteer with Civic Media Center, Gainesville Herbal Aid, and Gainesville Fine Arts Association.

Professionally, Kristin has worked in the education technology field for almost two decades. Kristin Powers is a learning scientist and storyteller with a passion for thoughtful design. Their human-centered designs and gameful motivation strategies are in a diverse array of products, including award-winning educational products, adult training programs, and online learning systems. They’ve worked with McGraw-Hill, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Florida Virtual School. They were the keynote for NewSchool Venture Fund’s “Designing for ELL” Ignite Challenge and has shared their instructional design enthusiasm at SXSWEdu and Online Learning Consortium. Kristin currently works as the Director of Marketing and Customer Engagement at Cidi Labs.