GK Callahan is a transmedia artist and community engagement professional with more than twenty years of experience in the community arts field. He holds an MFA in Social Practice from the California College of the Arts and a BFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute.

Callahan’s work focuses on how art can improve community life—connecting people through shared stories, public space, and creative problem-solving. He was awarded the San Francisco Arts Commission Innovative Partnerships Grant to establish the Please Touch Community Garden, addressing accessibility, agriculture, and the arts. He also received the ArtsKC Inspiration Grant for an HIV/AIDS awareness project in Tanzania and the Excellence in Community & Economic Development Award from MACEDEP for his leadership in civic engagement.

His collaborations include work with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Intersection for the Arts, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and San Francisco Arts Education Project. His projects and exhibitions have been presented at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, and Weinberger Fine Art, among others. Callahan has completed residencies at MASS MoCA, FOR-SITE Foundation, Warm Heart Art Tanzania, and Creative at Klondike.

In 2020, he was recognized as a featured artist by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and CultureBank, and his recent solo exhibitions include Ocular Anthology (William Jewell College, 2022) and Where Have All the Pheasants Gone? (Englewood Arts, 2024–25).

Callahan currently serves as a Community Arts and Engagement Specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, where he supports local councils and nonprofit partners in developing programs that strengthen economic and cultural vitality through the arts.

Artist Statement

As a transmedia artist, I combine traditional and participatory approaches to explore social and environmental themes. My work ranges from painting and mixed media to community projects that engage people directly in the creative process.

Much of my visual work examines the relationship between nature, identity, and social systems, often using familiar imagery or storytelling to address complex issues. In my community practice, I focus on projects that reduce barriers—creating opportunities for people of different backgrounds and abilities to connect through shared creative experiences.

Whether developing public art, collaborative installations, or social practice projects, my goal is to make art useful—to help people see their communities, and one another, in new and constructive ways.

The Studio, Civic, and Consulting Tree

Callahan’s practice is built around three connected areas:

  • Studio – Creating paintings, installations, and mixed-media works that explore themes of ecology, memory, and perception.

  • Civic – Developing public art and community-based projects that use creativity to address real-world challenges and strengthen local partnerships.

  • Consulting – Advising organizations and municipalities on cultural strategy, community engagement, and program design that foster equitable and sustainable growth.

Together, these branches form a balanced practice—combining hands-on artmaking with civic purpose and practical consulting experience.