Kayla Ackelson is a mixed-media artist, poet, and healing facilitator who creates soulful spaces for reconnection—both on the canvas and within.
Rooted in Pennsylvania, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in non-traditional photography from Millersville University. Her early path included work as a gallery assistant, art instructor, and a role at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2021, she stepped fully into her creative calling, dedicating herself to her art and the deeper work it evokes.
Her signature workshop, Canvas of the Soul, blends poetry, journaling, and intuitive painting to guide participants through a gentle process of reflection, release, and emotional clarity. Equal parts creative and spiritual, it’s a space where people can grieve, feel, and hear their soul speak.
Through visual art, writing, and her podcast Unhurried, Kayla invites others into slowness, intentional living, and the quiet magic of being human. Her work honors imperfection, emotional honesty, and the sacred beauty in taking your time.
Meet Kayla
Selected Solo Exhibitions
NORTH HALL MONTCO, MEDITATIONS, POTTSTOWN, PA 2025
RAVENSGATE, FLOW STATE, PHOENIXVILLE, PA 2025
ART WORK GALLERY, WHAT IS REVEALED, PHOENIXVILLE, PA, 2024
STUDIO323, SOLO EXHIBITION, PHOENIXVILLE, PA, 2023
BANANA FACTORY, ITERATIONS, BETHLEHEM, PA, 2019
LANCASTER PUBLIC LIBRARY, IMPROVISED, LANCASTER, PA, 2015
SWIFT GALLERY, KEEPSAKES, MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY, MILLERSVILLE, PA, 2014
Selected Group Exhibitions
THIRD STORY, STUBBORN GLADNESS, LANCASTER, PA 2025
LANCASTER MUSEUM OF ART, 63RD ANNUAL COMMUNITY ART EXHIBITION, LANCASTER, PA 2025
ART WORK GALLERY, MOTHER MADE, PHOENIXVILLE, PA, 2025
THE ART TRUST, LAYERED, WEST CHESTER, PA, 2024
THIRD STORY, WILD & PRECIOUS, LANCASTER, PA, 2024
RAVENSGATE, RETRO, PHOENIXVILLE, PA, 2024
LANCASTER MUSEUM OF ART, 59TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY ART EXHIBITION, LANCASTER, PA, 2021
LANCASTER MUSEUM OF ART, 58TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY ART EXHIBITION, LANCASTER, PA, 2020
PARLIAMENT GALLERY, IDENTITY, YORK, PA, 2016
HIVE ARTSPACE, IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS, YORK, PA, 2015
HIVE ARTSPACE, FOUND, COLLECTED, ASSEMBLED, YORK, PA, 2015
SUNSHINE ART+DESIGN, UNTITLED, LANCASTER, PA, 2015
PARLIAMENT GALLERY, OLD & NEW, YORK, PA, 2015
TELLUS 360, LIGHTS ON, LANCASTER, PA, 2015
GOGGLEWORKS, STUDENT SHOW, SCHMIDT GALLERY, READING, PA, 2014
ISADORE GALLERY, HAND + EYE, LANCASTER, PA, 2014
SYKES GALLERY, MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY STUDENT JURIED SHOW, MILLERSVILLE, PA, 2013, 2014
WARE CENTER, EXPANDED VISIONS, LANCASTER, PA, 2013
LANCASTER HISTORIC TRUST, EMERGING ARTISTS OF MILLERSVILLE, LANCASTER, PA, 2012