Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Kaylee Bender is a Denver-based artist, educator, community organizer, and musician who shares art as an act of liberation, connection, and advocacy.  She speaks through portraiture, surrealism, and elements of collage to tell stories of her community, encourage resilience, and explore our shared history through art and music, including work for the 2021 MLB Allstar Game and the Denver Art, Museum in 2022.

Her recent work invites questions of power and intentionality as the mythic and modern commingle with commanding presence, including a collection from her 2025 residency with Platteforum. Kaylee centers community engagement in her practice. This dedication is centered on art’s role in building a sense of identity in the community and its role in our emotional and physical well-being.

Her co-creation of Kinship Arts Movement and leadership of the Colfax Cares public art and mutual aid project has allowed her to contribute to serving over 1,000 people through the arts over just three years. Her practice integrates the larger issues of loss of communal practices and freedom of expression with an intention to make art a part of daily life for all community members.