About
I’m an artist working in sculptural formats in a practice informed by travel and specific places. About half of my work is designed for public spaces as featured in the video above.
I’m ravenous about materials and technologies for making, whether ancient or emerging. I’m also a lover of process, particularly complex methods that require long-term planning and the development of new tools.
I grew up on the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean, studied science and art in college and then sculpture in graduate school at RISD. I teach at Wheaton College and live in Norton, Massachusetts USA.
Resume
born
Willemstad, Curaçao / Former Netherlands Antilles / 1980
education
Rhode Island School of Design / Providence, RI
Master of Fine Arts, Sculpture –With Honors / 2009
New College of Florida / Sarasota, FL
Bachelor of Arts, Visual Art. Sub-concentration: Biology-Chemistry / 2002
solo & two-person exhibitions
Flood Plane: Kelly Goff and Leah Dyjak / 159 Sutton / Providence, RI / 2021
Kelly Goff: Beacon / Guard House, Lafayette College, Easton, PA / 2018
Empty Cache / Governor's Island Art Fair, New York, NY / 2016
Emerald City / Boston Children's Museum, Boston, MA / 2016
Coconuts / Uni Arte (Showcase), Willemstad, Curaçao / 2016
Kelly Goff: Break Down / Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA / 2013
Landscapes and Tool Portraits / Gimme, Ithaca, NY / 2006
New Material(s) / Isermann Gallery, Sarasota, FL / 2002
public art
Continuous Line X (heat), Wheaton College, Norton, MA, (loan) / 2026
Continuous Line XI (yellow), Wheaton College, Norton, MA, (loan) / 2026
Continuous Line IX (zig zag), Town of Franklin Sculpture Park, Franklin, MA (loan) / 2025
Continuous Line V, Town of Franklin Sculpture Park, Franklin, MA (loan) / 2025
Arboreal Line, Uptown Trees, Greeley CO (permanent) / 2025
Continuous Line VI, Power Tech Charter School, Colorado Springs, CO (permanent) / 2023
Continuous Line VII, El Paseo Sculpture Exhibition / Palm Desert, CA / 2023-2024
Geumgang Nature Biennale: Again, Multiplicities of Rewinding / Gongju, South Korea / 2022-2024
Continuous Line V, Avenue Concept Downtown Sculpture Program / Providence, RI / 2022-2023
Continuous Line VI, Art on the Streets / Colorado Springs, CO
Mending / Art on the Trails, Beals Preserve, Southborough, MA / 2021
Rising Up / Art on the Trails, Beals Preserve, Southborough, MA / 2020
Kelly Goff: Containers / Public Art Commission / Wassaic, NY / 2018
group exhibitions
Change of State / The Wassaic Project / Wassaic, NY / 2018
NXNE 2017 / Brattleboro Museum and Art Center / Brattleboro, VT / 2017
Awareness of Pollution / Project 3 / Willemstad, Curaçao / 2016
Mass Cultural Council Awardees/ New Art Center / Newtonville, MA / 2015
Deep End / The Wassaic Project / Wassaic, NY / 2015
WonderLAND / D Street Art Lab, Lawn on D, Convention and Exhibition Center / Boston, MA / 2015
We Place Our Ideas/ Our Ideas Place Us / Grossman Gallery, Lafayette College, Easton, PA / 2015
P3SF / Beard and Weil Galleries, Wheaton College, Norton, MA / 2014
Works of Paper / Davidson Contemporary, New York, NY / 2013
RISD Faculty Biennial / RISD Museum, Providence, RI / 2013
The Wassaic Project / Maxon Mills, Wassaic, NY / 2012
RISD Summer Faculty Show / Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI / 2011
Moonlight, Mai Tais, and Magic / Allegra LaViola Gallery, New York, NY / 2011
American Demonic / Davidson Contemporary, New York, NY / 2010 / Curated by Eve Biddle
Tectonic / Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ / 2010 / Curated by Yvonne Davis (catalog)
Free Range / WORK Gallery, New York, NY / 2009 (catalog)
The Wassaic Project / Maxon Mills, Wassaic, NY / 2009
RISD MFA Graduate Exhibition / Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, RI / 2009
Pollinate / Galapagos Arts Space, DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY / 2009 / Curated by Trevor Freedland
A Thin Veneer / Chace Center, Gelman Gallery, Providence, RI / 2009
Everything is Fine/ The Market is Fine / Ristie’s, 235 Westminster St., Providence, RI / 2009
We’ve Killed It, Mounted It, and Cut Its Flesh… / Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI / 2009
Slide Slam / Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT / 2009 / Juror: Kristina Newman-Scott
The Wassaic Project / Maxon Mills, Wassaic, NY / 2008 / Curated by Bowie Zunino and Eve Biddle
Lapse of Time / Chace Center, Gelman Gallery, Providence, RI / 2008
Boston Young Contemporaries / 808 Gallery, Boston, MA / 2008 / Juror: Carole Anne Meehan
The Pawtucket Foundation Prize Exhibition / Narragansett Bay Insurance, Pawtucket, RI / 2008
fear/less / Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI / 2008
Animata: Creatures in Contemporary Society / Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI / 2008
Open House: Narratives of Domestic Space / Isermann Gallery, Sarasota, FL / 2002
Group collaboration with Julie Ault of Group Material
5 / Behind the Blue Door Gallery, Sarasota, FL / 2001
awards and grants
First Prize / Rising Up, Art on the Trails 2020
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Grant (partnership with The Wassaic Project) / 2018
Faculty-Student Summer Research Funding / Wheaton College / summers 2014-2021
Artist Fellowship, Massachusetts Cultural Council / 2015
Andrew W. Mellon Research Award / Wheaton College / 2014, 2019
Full Fellowship, Chulitna Artist Residency / Lake Clark, Alaska / 2014
Finalist Grant, Massachusetts Cultural Council / 2013
Amelia Peabody Grant, St. Botolph Club Foundation / Boston, MA / 2013
SOLO Exhibition Competition Winner / Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA / Juror: Dina Deitsch / 2012
White Columns Curated Artist Registry / 2011- present
Full Fellowship for Residency, Vermont Studio Center / 2008
RISD Awards of Excellence, Honorable Mention / Juror: Ian Berry / 2008
RISD Graduate Sculpture Fellowship / 2007- 2009
Silvia Leslie Herman Young Scholarship / 2007 -2009
New College Foundation Thesis Grant / Funded research and exhibition materials / 2002
New College Foundation Research and Travel Grant / Funded travel in Italy / 2001
teaching
Mary Heuser Endowed Professor in the Arts / Wheaton College 2026-2031
Professor of Art / Wheaton College / 2025- present
Chair of the Creative Arts / Wheaton College / 2025-26
Associate Professor of Art and Chair of Visual Art / Wheaton College / 2019- 2025
Assistant Professor of Art / Wheaton College / 2013-2018
Adjunct Faculty / RISD, Sculpture Department / 2012
Adjunct Faculty / MassArt, 3D Fine Arts Department / 2013
Adjunct Faculty / Salve Regina University, Art Department / 2011- 2012
Guest Lecturer / Massachusetts Institute of Technology, D-Lab / 2011, 2013
Design Team Mentor / Massachusetts Institute of Technology, D-Lab: Design / 2011
Guest Lecturer / Art Department, Salve Regina University / 2011
Visiting Critic / Graduate Studies Department, RISD / 2010
Instructor / RISD, Continuing Education and Pre-College Program / 2009 – 2013
selected professional endeavors
Founding Director / Public Art at Wheaton (PAaW) / issues an annual CFP, provides funding,
and facilitates the fabrication and installation of public works on a college campus / 2019- present
Artist Talk, NICE Lecture Series, Attleboro Museum of Art / Attleboro, MA / 2025
Artist Talk, Colby College, Waterville ME / 2025
Visiting Artist / Lafayette College / 2018
Community Artwork- The Unity Project II / Facilitated at Wheaton College, Original by Nancy Belmont / Norton, MA / 2018
Community Artwork- Bamboo 3 / Royal Thimphu College campus / Thimphu, Bhutan / 2017
Community Artwork- Bamboo 4 / V.A.S.T Sculpture Park / Thimphu, Bhutan / 2017
Visiting Artist and Critic / IBB, Curaçao Center for Contemporary Art / Willemstad, Curaçao / 2016
Artist Talk / Uni Arte / Willemstad, Curaçao / 2016
Panelist / Play In Public Art / Lawn on D / Boston, MA / Moderator: Chris Wangro / 2015
Artist Talk / Cape Cod Art Association / 2014
Member / RISD Alumni Council / 2012, 2013
Curator / RISD Museum, Gelman Gallery, From Big Box to White Box / 2008
Gallery Talk / RISD Museum, Free-to-the-Public Night / 2008
Artist Talk / University of Massachusetts, Amherst / 2013
Artist Talk / The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY / 2012
Artist Talk / Pawtucket Foundation Prize Exhibition, RI / 2008