About The Artist
I am a native of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, and began drawing at the age of six. A year later I received my first set of oils and painting lessons from a neighborhood artist who took an interest in my young artistic abilities. At age eleven I won an art school scholarship to the renown Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (I.N.B.A.) in Mazatlán, from which I graduated in 1978. Since then I have made a living teaching, through commercial art, and working as a fine artist, winning many awards at both the state and national level, including first place in the national competition, Carteles Alucivos a la Contaminación Ambiéntal in 1973. My family includes many musicians. As a youngster I was a keen observer of the traditional costumes and body paint used by the Matachines, groups of indigenous dancers that included my mother. My artistic sensibilities were also greatly influenced by the music I heard played within my family circle and on the streets of Mazatlán, by the sounds of my environment and by the huge carnival culture of Mazatlán. I married an American woman and settled in my wife’s hometown of Corte Madera in 2008. I was greatly attracted to the beauty of the Marin landscape, which has become the focus of much of my recent painting. But as an immigrant I have a piece of my heart in both countries, and the subject of many of my paintings, especially my abstract work, is rooted in my Mexican heritage. My fine art work includes landscapes, portraits and abstract works in water-color, oil, acrylic and pastels, as well as murals such as those in the Capilla La Milagrosa in Mazatlán, Mexico and in historic St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Stockton, CA. I have also worked in mosaic and sculpture and have commissions in private collections, churches and public sites. I am currently involved in a proposal to create a large, sculptural mural on the cliffs of Mazatlán, a project that will also involve a major redesign of areas of the Mazatlán waterfront.
Oil Paint, Acrylic Paint, Watercolor, Pastel
Studio Information
O'Hanlon Center
Contact Information
Exhibitions & Press
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2023 Art Works Downtown, Underground Gallery, San Rafael, CA
2022 Community Foundation of San Joaquin, “Guillermo H. Kelly”, Stockton, CA
2021 Mezzo Restaurant, Stockton, CA
2020 Aroma Café, “Landscape Art Exhibit”, San Rafael, CA
2020 Casa Maya Galleria, “Pintando Musica,” Mazatlán, Sin., Mexico
2019 Canal Alliance, “Painting Music”, San Rafael, CA
2016 Casa de la Cultura, Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, “Guillermo Kelly Artista Plastico en
Tapalpa”
2014 Tiburon Heritage & Arts Commission, Tiburon Town Hall, “Guillermo H. Kelly, Recent
Marin Paintings”, Tiburon, CA
2013 The Painter’s Place, “Fall Art Show”, Larkspur, CA
2012 The Painter’s Place, “Landscape Paintings”, Larkspur, CA
2005 Aztec Garden Gallery, “Plein Air Exhibit”, Stockton, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Petaluma Historical Library and Museum. “Dia de los Muertos”, Petaluma, CA 2023 Bolinas Museum, “Hardly Strictly Mini”, Bolinas, CA 2023 Marin Open Studios, Bay Model, Sausalito, CA
2023 Multicultural Center of Marin, San Rafael, CA, January 2023
2023 Spotlight Window Show, Bon Air Center, Greenbrae, CA, January 2023
2022 Bolinas Museum, “Pacific Rise: Ocean Health”, Bolinas, CA
2022 Marin Open Studios, Bay Model, Sausalito, CA
2022 Marin Open Studios Gallery, Corte Madera, CA
2021 Bolinas Museum,”Hardly Strictly Mini Exhibition”, Bolinas, CA
2019 Corte Madera Library, “Largly Local” by Guillermo Kelly and Heidi Hafer, Corte
Madera, CA
2019 Bartolini Gallery, “Día de Los Muertos: Transformations through Life and Death”, San
Rafael, CA, Oct 15 – Nov 22
2019 Marin Society of Artists, “Pop-Up Exhibit”, San Rafael, CA
2019 Marin County Civic Center Gallery, “Face Time: A Portrait of Marin County”, San
Rafael, CA
2018 Marin TV, San Rafael, Collective Exhibit of Latino Artists
2017 Corte Madera Library, “Painting Music and More”, Guillermo Kelly and Heidi Hafer,
Corte Madera, CA
2016 Look Vintage and Modern Gallery, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mex.
2015 Artworks Downtown, Founders Gallery, “Artists in Action Downtown San Rafael Plein
Air Exhibit”
2015 Martinez Gallery, “Celebrating Martinez,” Martinez, CA
2015 Martinez Gallery, “Abstraction & Expressionism”, Martinez, CA
2011 Art Works Downtown, “Small Works Show”, San Rafael, CA
2009 Marin County Fair, “Fine Arts Exhibit”, San Rafael, CA
2015 – Best of Show award, “1st Annual Artist in Action Downtown San Rafael” plein air painting event, San Rafael, CA
2013 – Judge’s Favorite First Place Award, “Tiburon Heritage & Arts Commission Plein Air
Competition”, Tiburon, CA
2013 – People’s Choice Award, “Tiburon Heritage & Arts Commisssion Plein Air Competition”, Tiburon, CA
1997- “Sinaloa State Traveling Art Exhibition”, traveled to all states in Mexico. Three of Kelly’s watercolors earned the honor of being permanently entered into the Artists’ Hall of Fame for Sinaloa State.
1973 – Mazatlán City, Sinaloa State and National First Place Awards, Poster Competition, “Environmental Pollution”
1971 – First Place Award, El Comite Pro-Feria de la Primavera El Rosario,
“Exposicion de Tecnologias Escolares”, Rosario, Sin., Mexico
1971 – First Place Award, “Drawing and Painting Competition”, at regional and state level, Sin., Mexico
1970 – First Place Award, Flowers Fair Collective Art Show, Rosario, Sin., Mexico
1970 – Honorable Mention, National Art Fair, Aguascalientes, Ags., Mexico
1969-1970 – Scholarship from Latina (a well-know magazine) to the Instituto
National De Bellas Artes in Mazatlán
Sonoma Coast & Marin Coast Guide. “Painting by Guillermo H. Kelly”, page 42 & 66, Coast Navigator, 2022
El Debate – Orlando Samaniego. “Planean teatro en el Cerro de La Nevería”,
March 21, 2015
El Debate – Orlando Samaniego. “Planean un teatro al aire libre en el Cerro de La Nevería”,
March 20, 2015
The Ark, Vol. 42, Issue 5 – Diane Smith. “From Mexico to Marin, Kelly’s talent as painter to be
displayed at Town Hall”, January 29, 2014
The Ark, Vol. 41, Issue 33 – “Art fest takes town by storm”, August 14, 2013
Santa Cruz Sentinel – Sentinel Staff Report. “Aromas school hoists history mural”, June 15,
2010
The Record – Jennifer Torres. “Inspired transformation – Artist Guillermo Kelly paints a
Mural at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in downtown Stockton”, August 8, 2009
The Record – Jennifer Torres. “Improvements at a Stockton Church Reflect a Congregation
United”, August 8, 2009
Manteca Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 291 – Dennis Wyatt. “His work graces walls in Mexico, NorCal”,
October 18, 2007
Manteca Bulletin, Vol. 98, No. 87 – Megan Gladden. “Artists mural grace walls from Manteca
to Guadalajara”, March 28, 2006.
The Downtowner – Photo by Downtown Stockton Alliance. “Guillermo Kelly paints a
Downtown Farmers Market scene”, June-July 2005.
El Sol del Pacifico – “Guillermo Kelly, un artist mazatleco – Expone en la galleria del teatro
Angela Peralta del 5 al 25 de Septiembre”, 1994
El Sol del Pacifico – Rubén Romero Ibarra, “Guillermo Kelly y sus Ganas de Vivir por el
Arte”; “Conversing on Art” by Guillermo Kelly; Photo of “Musicos de Pueblo”, painting by
Guillermo Kelly, December 16, 1993.
