Creative Conversation a Talk with Curator Lavon N. Pettis

Lavon N.  Pettis is an artist in residence for the Wild Yams Black Mothers Residency.   Her opening group exhibition was on August 27th, 2021.  She created several artworks, along with her cohorts,  responding to her Mercy Endureth Forever series supported by the Illinois Humanities Envisioning Justice grant.  The Mercy Endureth Forever series explores her past as a juvenile delinquent, her aesthetic, social, and political evolution as a person,  and her reputation as a Muse for the artists. This series includes work she commissioned/modeled for by painter Donnie Carter that further investigates the nexus of her identity, development, management, and cultivation.  This artwork in progress is on display as well! 

Lavon Nicole Pettis is the founder of Turnkey Kaizen, an organization that provides product development and management to artists and professions in the fine art and creative industry. She specializes in consultancy services aimed to elevate the artist's career to the next level. Lavon has over XX years of experience working in arts and entertainment. She has worked with many creative professionals, including visual artists, writers, actors, cultural artists, and musicians, playing an instrumental role in their career progression and development. Her approach to success is a blend of her Psychology and Sociology background, merged with her business acumen and knowledge of the arts. The combination allows Lavon to develop fully comprehensive programs centered around enabling and unlocking new opportunities to expose and grow artists. Lavon has always been passionate about fine art. However, she recognized that artists within this segment lacked the support other artists received.