ARTIST
KEVIN RUSSELL DRAPER
Rockaway Park, NYC
Sculptor, Architect, and Technologist
Artistic Director, Satellite Collective
2026
“Apple Face”, Mriya Gallery, Group show; Tribeca, NYC
2025
“With Respect To The Killer In My Heart”, Mriya Gallery, Tribeca, NYC
“Follow The Money”, 1101 Godfrey, ArtPrize Best Venue; Grand Rapids, MI
2024
“Satellite Collective Films”, CANADA, Tribeca, NYC
“The Cartoon Before The Movie”, Mriya Gallery, Tribeca NYC
“Sad Blimp Twins”, public display, Tribeca, NYC
2023
“Sad Blimp”, public display, Ah Nab Awen Park, Grand Rapids, MI
“Sad Blimp”, public display, Rosa Parks Circle, Grand Rapids, MI
2022
“Liar Lear King”, animated film, premiered in Rosa Parks Circle, a Maya Lin elliptic, in Grand Rapids, MI
“Liar Lear King”, premiered by Grand Rapids Ballet
2021
“Echo & Narcissus” outdoor performance with Grand Rapids Ballet, Grand Rapids Art Museum Plaza, Grand Rapids, MI
“Rituals”, projection in collaboration with Lora Robertson, Grand Rapids Art Museum Plaza, Grand Rapids, MI
SAP Program Executive, Lockheed Martin CAS Program
2020
SAP Program Executive, US Defense Logistics Agency Cloud Computing
2018
Brooklyn Academy of Music, “ECHO & NARCISSUS” (“bubbles over with creative energy” – NY Times)
Awarded Citation for Achievement in the Arts,President and Borough of Brooklyn, “for building a sustainable creative, financial, and collaborative model that can generate new visions for dance, multimedia, music, and poetry”
2016
Brooklyn Academy of Music Professional Development Fellowship
Frey Foundation Seed Grant, for Gran Jericho; installation for “Maria”;
Full-building recovery collaboration with Site:Lab
Lexington 92Y Production : “Central Park”; 25th Anniversary, Fridays at Noon program
“Edie Leaves Twice”, Brooklyn Academy of Music, (“aims to open up the stage to diverse artistic voices” – NY Observer)
“Twin Star Event”; winner of jury prize GRAM (“peculiar” – NY Times)
Baryshnikov Arts Center; “Satellites” (“luminous” – NY Post)
ACADEMIC LIFE
Notre Dame University, Executive MBA
Tulane University, Master of Architecture, with Commendation
University of Michigan, BS Architecture
Congress-Bundestag Exchange Student, West Germany
AFFILIATIONS
President, Tibetan Poverty Alleviation Fund JV, China, 2006-2016
Board of Advisors, Tulane University School of Architecture, 2012-2016
BIOGRAPY
Kevin Draper studied engineering, and then architecture at the University of Michigan after attending secondary school in West Germany. He was a founding year student in the graduate architecture program at Tulane University.
After a few years working as a mechanical engineer, Draper matriculated at Notre Dame University for an Executive MBA. Kevin’s work in virtual, deconstructed environments translated well into a business career working to build and launch international business to business networks and online environments.
In 2010 Draper moved to New York, and founded Satellite Collective. Working at first with dancers and choreographers from the New York City Ballet, and then Alvin Ailey, San Francisco Ballet, and William Forsyth Company, Draper embarked on a decade long project of ballets driven by story, and set in New York. The works have premiered at Brooklyn Academy of Music, Baryshnikov Arts Center, 92Y, and regional performing arts centers in Michigan and Portland, Oregon. These works are large scale productions, the NYT has called them “overflowing with creative inspiration.” Draper’s digital projection work for these productions, large scale, makes up a core part of his visual works.
In 2018 the Borough of Brooklyn and Mayor of New York awarded Satellite Collective a Citation for Achievement in the Arts for building a sustainable arts organization and contributing materially to the future of the arts in Brooklyn.
Kevin Draper himself also received a Citation for Achievement in the Arts in recognition of his contribution to the culture of Brooklyn.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Artistic Director and Executive Producer, SATELLITE COLLECTIVE
Kevin founded and currently runs a thriving Brooklyn-based arts collective called Satellite Collective. The organization received a Citation from the President and Borough of Brooklyn for Achievement in the Arts, and the development of a sustainable arts model for collaboration.
In 2018 Satellite Collective was awarded a Citation for Achievement in the Arts by the President & Borough of Brooklyn.
As Artistic Director of Satellite Collective Draper has led the organization through 12 seasons of major production of works of all types, incubated hundreds of New York-based and national artists, and built technology tools to collaborate virtually remotely long before this became a necessary part of society. The connections forged on Satellite productions have become a huge extended family of professionals as new members join, grow, and contribute to fresh visions. It is a bright, new paradigm.Satellite Collective is led by Artistic Director Kevin Draper. It is New York City based, with regional homes on Lake Michigan, and the Pacific Northwest, and participating artists throughout the world.Programs Developed Under Kevin Draper
Satellite Fellows : a startup of online tools, financial services, and professional development tools based on artists providing services to artists
Satellite Rouge Film Unit : films built by writers, composers, and filmmakers, and then used as the master plan for ballets, public art, and stage performances
Satellite Ballet : contemporary ballet and dance works built by teams of composers, visual artists, choreographers, writers, and poets
Satellite Press : ebook publishing platform
Satellite Ensemble : an evolving framework for musicians to work in groups under conductors, providing live performance and recorded music for public installations
Satellite Transmission : an online journal investigating the nature of place
TECHNOLOGIST
Draper also works with and advises corporations and government agencies on how to transform their processes through very large IT projects.
His understanding of big technology and its impact on society is reflected in Satellite’s network of online tools and capabilities. Recent work has been the scaling up of systems and structure to support the fast-growing SATELLITE FELLOWS program. This program relies on a high tech value chain to integrate fundraising and distribution.
He has worked with many of the country’s largest Cities and States, the Federal government, Aerospace and global brands including Nike, Wal-Mart, and Boeing on transformation projects.
Clients: Army / Navy / Defense Logistics Agency / Nike / Walmart / Adidas / Polo Ralph Lauren / Tory Burch / Boeing / Lockheed Martin / Northrop Grumman / Raytheon / General Atomics