BIOGRAPHY – Bryan Kilgore

          Bryan Kilgore, born and raised in Phoenix AZ, has always been fascinated by art and has been drawing constantly since childhood.  As a young man in high school, he began to explore how he could combine his love of art and his passion for movement.  While helping his school’s basketball team win the Arizona State Championship, Bryan began to expand his artistic repertoire from pencil sketches to acrylic painting, airbrush and water color.  His fun and colorful efforts were noticed by Phoenix Suns, who selected Bryan to design a banner for them which was later presented at the State Capital.  He was also noticed by Grand Canyon University, which awarded Bryan a four-year scholarship in which he earned his BA in Fine Art.  While at Grand Canyon, Bryan continued to innovate and soon was selected to airbrush some poster board faces for local celebrity Pat McMan.  He also served as the school’s newspaper illustrator. 

            After graduating from Grand Canyon University, Bryan won recognition throughout Phoenix for his beautiful and contemporary wall murals.  The murals currently appear on the campuses of Grand Canyon University, Solon Senior Academy, Valley View Elementary School, Cordova Middle School, Desert Willow Elementary, Lone Mountain Elementary, also, the Goodyear Fire Station and in the City of Avondale.  Bryan has spent his professional career working as an art teacher in the Public School System.  He has developed and delivered regular and advanced art curriculum for students in grades K – 10 for nine years.  He has also worked hard to share his art with an appreciative audience outside of his local community.  Bryan’s work has been recognized nationally.  In 1999 the Alexandria, Louisiana newspaper did a story on Bryan when the Lion House Mega Arts Showcase invited him to show his work at their Bambara Art Gallery.

            Bryan’s talent extends across a wide range of media.  In 2002, Bryan co-wrote the story, music and lyrics for the world’s “first holy Hip-Hopera”, a musical called “The One”.  “The One” opened to rave reviews at a small local theatre (Herberber) and has been invited to venues across the United States and Canada.  Also in 2002 Bryan started his own business, Kilgore Studios 75, a company designed to motivate, inspire and educate youth and young adults about Art.  Currently Bryan has been selected for the Arizona Commission on the Arts’ Residency Roster.  Bryan is teaching and instructing in art programs at several Arizona Libraries and Public Schools such as: Litchfield Library; Basha Library in Chandler; Northwest Regional Library in Surprise, Buckeye Recreation Center, Pendergast School District and Capital School.  In 2006 his company (Kilgore Studios 75) published their first how-to-draw art book named “Kool Doodles”.  Also in 2006 Bryan started his own comic called “bre bre & bj” which appeared as an online comic series with The Phoenix Public Library and The Maricopa County Library District for their Summer Reading Program.

            Currently, Bryan has been inspired by God to illustrate the Bible.  He calls it “Painted Word.”  “Painted Word” has been at First Friday’s Phoenix Art Walk, different churches and different parks all over Arizona.  Bryan also just released his first Graphic Novel called "LOGOS volume 1" which is available for purchase at a few different comic book stores in AZ.  Bryan thanks God for allowing him to share his gifts with others.