Katie Wilhelm
Designer and Consultant
Introducing Emerging and Showcasing Established Artists in London, Canada
“Katie’s enthusiasm is matched by her thoroughness, and I am always impressed by her ability to keep a schedule moving regularly while maintaining and managing a complex inventory of performers and presenters”
Artfusion Gallery
5000+
Artworks Shown
500+
Artists Represented
100+
Events in 3 Years
About the Project
I was the Assistant Director of Artfusion Gallery. Artfusion showcased over 5000 pieces of artwork from over 500 artists and contributed to over 100 events over a three year period.
By operating a full-time art gallery, curating group art shows, creating large-scale outdoor murals, hosting community events and fundraisers, and providing professional artist representation, I advocated for local artist entrepreneurs and urban street art.
Artfusion worked with various organizations to see positive relationships between mural artists and the general public and provided connections for creative projects in Canada.
Design and Marketing
Print and Digital Design
Website Design
Social Media Management
Event Planning and Management
Marketing Campaigns
Social Media Management
Public Relations
Business Development
Art Gallery Management and Art Sales
Fundraising
Strategic Planning
Managing Volunteers
Accounting and Financial Planning
Art Appraisals
Mural Production
Artfusion Timeline
This timeline covers the activities of Artfusion Gallery from March 2008 to July 2012.
• Artfusion created the Stephen Watson Memorial Mural in London, Ontario in August 2013.
• The Artfusion Gallery location was open in the Citi Plaza in downtown London from 2011-2014.
The Stephen Watson Memorial Mural #SWMM
About the Project
This Stephen Watson Memorial Mural (SWMM) was created to honour the life of Stephen Watson and to promote the important message of ocean conservation. The mural features the logo of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) a non-profit marine conservation organization founded by Stephen Watson’s brother, Paul Watson.
I led a team of volunteer organizers and artists in organizing the project and fundraised over $30,000 to complete this large-scale art installation. We raised money through sponsorship, community fundraising, paint drives, and even lemonade sales. This project was an inspiring act of community togetherness in support of the arts.
We archived our journey on our SWMM Tumblr page, you can check it out here.
The mural is called Octopus’ Garden II and is a large-scale representation of Stephen Watson’s last painting. The mural is approximately 27 metres high and 60 metres wide (88. 5 feet high and 196.8 feet wide) and at the time of creation was London, Ontario’s largest outdoor mural.
Octopus’ Garden II was completed from August 6 – August 29, 2013, by volunteer artists using 10 tonnes of paint and equipment purchased with sponsorship dollars and fundraised resources by a team of volunteer committee members.
The launch of the mural was celebrated with Artfusion Fest 3, a 3-day block party featuring live art on 2 buildings, 15+ musical performances, 20+ craft vendors, and a special performance by award-winning Canadian DJ “Skratch Bastid.” An estimated 2800+ patrons attended the weekend festivities with the mural gaining international attention through Stephen Watson’s extended network and legacy.
The public relations campaign for this project reached audiences all over the world. I worked with partner organizations and media outlets to see global outreach and promotion of this mural’s completion and message.
Media Links
Toronto.com, “Watson mural paints the heart of the ocean in downtown London”
Toronto.com, “Artfusion champion the inspiration for London’s largest mural”
Toronto.com, “Artfusion celebrates art, community and London’s largest mural”
Sea Shepherd UK, “Celebrating the Life of Artist and Conservationist Stephen Watson”
The Art Attack Mural with Lashbrook PR
About the Project
I helped to lead a team of 10 street artists in creating an award-winning experiential marketing campaign to communicate that downtown London is open for business.
Artfusion worked with Lashbrook PR and Downtown London to paint the message, “Experience Downtown London” over 3 downtown street blocks overnight. The campaign received over 700,000 earned media impressions, received 1,200 YouTube video views in the first hour, and increased visitors to downtown.
Awards
IABC London Virtuoso, “Best of the Best” Award for Communications Skills
IABC London Virtuoso, “Best of the Best” Award for Communication Creative
Testimonial
“I have had the good fortune to be a part of several events for which Katie has been a key part of the organization, promotion, and presentation.
Katie’s enthusiasm is matched by her thoroughness, and I am always impressed by her ability to keep a schedule moving regularly while maintaining and managing a complex inventory of performers and presenters, as well as large numbers of display items and the related itinerary and labeling.
These skills are rounded off by Katie’s ability to make and present promotional materials of all sorts for the event beforehand, and to connect with multiple parts of the community to develop support and integration for projects as they develop and grow.”