Artist Profile: Kelly Chapin-Hagen

Kelly Chapin-Hagen

Bio:

Kelly Chapin-Hagen is an artist, educator, and lifelong creative born and raised In Sedalia. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Art Education from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg in 2003 and recently completed her MFA in Ceramics at Fort Hays State University in 2025. She has been teaching art in public schools since 2003 and spent over a decade sharing her love of art with young people through Camp Blue Sky, where she was inspired by Barbra Cooney and her vision for sharing art with the community. Outside the classroom, Kelly Chapin-Hagen is passionate about her own art-making, with a special focus on female-inspired ceramic sculpture. Her work explores themes of womanhood, symbolism, and personal transformation. Art is not only her career, but her favorite lifelong hobby—alongside traveling. Now that she has completed her MFA, she looks forward to exploring the world through artist residencies and new creative opportunities abroad.