Kayla Powers | WMU Art Alumni Story: Art that grows, connects and inspires

When Kayla Powers graduated with an art history degree, she faced the same pressure as many artists: how to make a living and a name for herself in a world that values speed over substance. As a fiber artist, she's built a creative practice that's deeply rooted in place, tuned into the seasons and embraces the art of slowness. Kayla, who graduated from WMU in 2011, isn't just making pretty textiles; her work with natural dyes is a conversation about ecology, community and the surprising beauty found right under our noses.

Art from the ground up

For Kayla, the creative process begins not in the studio, but in the soil. She's a master forager, gathering plants from the urban landscape to create natural dyes. This means her palette isn't picked from a color wheel; it's painted by what's blooming, growing or gracefully fading around her.

"People don't always associate Detroit with bountiful nature," Kayla shares, "but when I moved here, I was struck by the wild open spaces and how much life there was in them." Her art is a joyful celebration of this often-overlooked abundance. It invites us to see the city through a fresh lens, where the living world and the built environment are in constant dialog.

This interplay between nature's organic flow and man-made structure is central to Kayla's weaving. She sees a poetic connection between the rigid lines of Detroit's streets and the sturdy, interwoven grid of warp and weft in her textiles. "So, there's this hardscape," she explains, "and then intermixing that with the plant dyes—the union of the living world and the built environment."

It’s a subtle, yet incredibly powerful, metaphor for coexistence: a beautiful reminder of how organic life doesn't just survive but can truly thrive within (and even playfully reshape) the frameworks we build.

Kayla’s journey to a sustainable practice began with a pivotal shift. She chose to reject the fast-paced art world and instead found inspiration in her local environment. By becoming a master forager, she transformed her artistic medium and built a creative practice that was a direct counterpoint to the fast-paced world around her.

Education as fertile ground

Kayla’s journey as an artist was shaped by her time at Western Michigan University, diving deep into art history and anthropology. These disciplines are the framework she uses to understand people, culture and craft. Those insights? They're still informing every thread of her work today.

In her senior year, Kayla landed a curatorial internship at WMU’s Richmond Center for Visual Arts. She helped organize an exhibition called Heroes Like Us, corresponding professionally with a renowned fiber artist named Mark Newport. Little did she know, a decade later, that very artist would become her mentor during her master’s at Cranbrook Academy of Art!

"That experience really bridged what could have been a scary gap," she reflects. "When it came time to apply to Cranbrook, I already knew he was kind and talented. That familiarity made a huge difference." That early, behind-the-scenes exposure to curating – the professional communication, the logistics, coordinating the whole exhibition, gave her a unique experience that now informs how she presents her own work.

Defining success

For Kayla, success isn't measured in flashing lights or the money she makes. "I'm not making bank," she laughs, "but I'm paying my bills, and I live a very interesting life." Her version of "making it" is deeply rooted in sustainability – not just for the planet, but personally as well. It's about waking up excited to do meaningful work, surrounded by a vibrant community of fellow artists.

She's refreshingly honest about the rollercoaster of creative life: one day you're featured in a major publication, the next you're navigating a rejection. But she champions celebrating those small wins and always keeping the long game in sight. "I am laying the foundation to be making art when I'm 80," she says. "If I could do that, I'm doing something right." Now that's a goal!

To young artists fresh out of school, Kayla offers a perspective that might just surprise them: hit the brakes. "Take your time. Get a weird job. Live life," she advises. "You've just spent four intense years, taking in all this information, and you need to process it."

She firmly believes that the most compelling art isn't rushed; it springs from lived experience and a deep, authentic understanding of your own unique voice. "Don't expect to come out of the gate with a solo exhibition," she wisely warns. The truth is, your art will be so much richer and more uniquely you when you've had the time to truly refine your aesthetic and discover what makes you, well, you.

Building a sustainable, fulling career

At its heart, Kayla Powers’ work is about connection – to place, to the quiet wisdom of plants, and to the vibrant pulse of people. Whether she’s patiently foraging in her backyard oasis or weaving magic in her studio, she’s cultivating a practice that genuinely honors the rhythms of the natural world and the untold stories woven into every single fiber.

Kayla didn't just find a way to pay her bills; she built a model for artistic success that is rooted in authenticity and longevity. Her work is a testament to the idea that true creativity isn't about speed, but about a deep connection to your craft. In a time when so much feels disconnected, her art serves as a gentle, yet powerful, reminder that beauty, profound meaning, and incredible resilience aren't somewhere far off. They're right here, right where we are.