About

I am an artist, a community organizer, and a lifelong learner based in Morganton, NC. My work has focused on building creative spaces for communities to thrive whether through site-specific installation, social action, or collaboration. In my free time you can find me running, biking, and jumping on trampolines.

Advocacy

Recognizing the dire need for creative education in the rural South of the US, I co-founded TOSS (The Old School Studio) in Morganton, NC. This advocacy studio is dedicated to promoting personal and institution transformation toward environmental justice, inclusivity, and the future of work. After years of close collaboration with The Industrial Commons, we joined this ecosystem in 2021. I continue to study the integration the creativity, identity, and belonging while practicing creative place-making in the South.

Resume

KATHRYN ERVIN
Morganton, NC | 828-448-1734
kathryngeneervin@gmail.com
www.kathrynervin.com

One Among Many
Learning Circle with Poder Emma and The Industrial Commons
Asheville, NC, 2020
Photo credit: Franzi Charen

Professional Summary

Arts and community engagement leader with 10+ years of experience designing and managing creative programs that connect artists, youth, educators, civic leaders, and community stakeholders. Experienced in developing cross-sector partnerships, leading public-facing initiatives, supporting creative practitioners, and using arts and culture to strengthen community participation and civic engagement. Skilled in program strategy, coalition building, facilitation, grant management, communications, and project leadership. Passionate about leveraging creativity and storytelling to expand opportunity, build relationships, and foster meaningful social impact.

Core Competencies

  • Community Engagement & Organizing

  • Cross-Sector Partnership Development

  • Cultural Strategy & Creative Programming

  • Stakeholder & Coalition Building

  • Public Art & Creative Placemaking

  • Project & Budget Management

  • Event Production & Logistics

  • Facilitation & Public Speaking

  • Civic Engagement Initiatives

  • Artist Relations & Creative Collaboration

  • Program Evaluation & Impact Measurement

  • Grant Writing & Resource Development

  • Strategic Communications & Storytelling

  • Team Leadership & Staff Supervision

Professional Experience

Creative Director & Co-Founder
The Old School Studio (TOSS) - An enterprise of The Industrial Commons, a nonprofit regional cooperative ecosystem focused on worker-centered economic development, community resilience, and environmental stewardship.
Morganton, NC | 2015–2026

  • Founded and led a community-based arts organization that engages more than 1,200 youth and community members monthly through creative programming, public art initiatives, artist residencies, and civic engagement projects.

  • Design, coordinate, and evaluate arts education programs, artist residencies, workshops, camps, exhibitions, and community engagement initiatives serving youth and families across Burke County, NC.

  • Secure and administer more than $465,000 annually in grant funding from federal, state, regional, and private sources, including the National Endowment for the Arts, Dogwood Health Trust, North Carolina Arts Council, Education Foundation of America and others.

  • Coordinate logistics, scheduling, staffing, contracts, communications, and resources across multiple program sites and concurrent projects.

  • Built and sustained partnerships among artists, schools, nonprofits, local government, businesses, and community organizations to advance shared community goals.

  • Coordinate teaching artists and project collaborators, providing logistical support, orientation, scheduling, and ongoing communication.

  • Produced public programs, exhibitions, community celebrations, and participatory arts experiences that brought together diverse audiences and strengthened community connection.

  • Supervise staff, contractors, volunteers, interns, teaching artists, and project collaborators.

  • Develop marketing materials, educational resources, grant reports, and public communications using Adobe Creative Suite and Google Workspace.

  • Collect photographs, attendance data, participant feedback, surveys, and narrative reports to evaluate program effectiveness and fulfill grant reporting requirements.

  • Lead program evaluation efforts to measure community impact and support organizational growth.

Collaborative Initiative 

  • Collaborated with the North Carolina Museum of Art to expand professional development and resources for art instructors in the Burke County Public School system. 

  • Developed and led a multiyear community arts campaign supporting 25 emerging artists and resulting in eight permanent public art installations across Burke County. Convening artists, educators, manufacturers, small businesses, nonprofit leaders, and community stakeholders we collaboratively illustrated the future of workforce development, youth opportunity, and community vitality.

  • Designed K-12 curriculum connecting youth with environmental stewards, entrepreneurs, artists, and community leaders, helping participants explore career pathways, civic participation, and community stewardship.

  • Collaborated with The Industrial Commons network to support high school internships connecting arts, education, workforce development, and rural economic revitalization.

  • Developed a middle and high school engineering competition with our local municipality, manufacturers, school districts, and art teachers.

Adjunct Arts Educator | Various Organizations | 2014–Present

  • Designed and facilitated arts education programs for youth and adults in schools, nonprofit organizations, community centers, and cultural institutions.

  • Adapted curriculum to meet diverse educational needs and learning environments.

  • Collaborated with community partners to develop meaningful arts experiences.

Organizations Served

  • YMCA, Burke County, NC

  • Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Morganton, NC

  • Burke County Public Schools, Morganton, NC

  • New Dimensions Charter School, Morganton, NC

  • Burke Arts Council, Morganton, NC

  • Hickory Nut Gap Farm Camp, Fairview, NC

Freelance Graphic Design and Creative Consultant | 2012–Present

  • Designed visual communications, branding materials, educational resources, promotional campaigns, and print publications for nonprofit organizations and community initiatives.

  • Managed client relationships, project timelines, and production schedules.

  • Produced materials using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Leadership & Service 

  • Public Art Advisory Board Leader, The Industrial Commons, Morganton, NC 2023-2025

  • Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Morganton, NC | 2021-2022

  • Engage Art Contest Juror, Charlotte, NC | 2018

  • Burke Arts Council Board Member, Morganton, NC | 2016

  • Art Competition Juror - Western Piedmont Community College Annual Studio Art Competition, Morganton, NC | 2016

  • Collaborative Exhibition Committee Member - North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC | 2012

Education

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY  | 2014
Greenville, North Carolina

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Magna Cum Laude
Concentration: Painting and Drawing
Minor: Art History

WESTERN PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE  | 2010
Morganton, North Carolina
Associate in Fine Arts

Additional Professional Development 

William K. and Delores S. Brehm Scholarship Recipient | 2019–2021
Pasadena, California

Brehm Center for the Arts, Fuller Theological Seminary
Graduate Studies in Worship, Theology, and the Arts

Trinity Fellows Academy Fellowship Recipient  | 2017
Royal Oak, Maryland
Competitive nine-month leadership and research fellowship focused on community development, arts, culture, and civic engagement.

Selected Honors 

  • Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award, East Carolina University

  • Frame Maker's Award of Excellence in Painting

  • Second Place, ECU Undergraduate Exhibition

Technical Skills

  • Google Workspace & Adobe Creative Suite

  • Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

  • Digital Photography (Canon and Nikon)

  • Large-Format Printing and Scanning