KGNU’s Frank Dagnillo sat down with artist Allyson McDuffie to talk about her recent exhibit at KGNU Boulder Studio. The exhibit features colorful, satirical digital drawings that explore themes like memory, queer identity, and societal norms. Allyson also promotes her Kin Studio in North Boulder, which hosts community art events on the first Friday of the month, from April through October. (Interview date: 3/14/2025)
Frank Dagnillo: So we got a special treat here in the studio this evening. I got Kelle with the Nobo Art District, and we also have a featured artist, Allyson McDuffie. We’re gonna start off with Kelle. How are you doing Kelle?
Kelle Boumansour: I’m doing great. How are you doing tonight?
Frank Dagnillo: Very well, thank you. So what can you tell me about the North Boulder Art District?
Kelle Boumansour: Yeah, so the North Boulder Art District is a nonprofit organization with the mission of elevating the arts in Boulder. And one of the ways that we do that is through our Art and Place program, which is what is being featured here at KGNU. And the Art and Place program is where we connect our artist members with our business members for custom art curations. It’s a really amazing way for our artists to get their artwork out in the community getting more eyeballs on their art and as well as then beautifying our businesses and overall just bringing up the cultural vibrancy of the community.
Frank Dagnillo: So how can people get a hold of you, Kelle?
Kelle Boumansour: They can email me at [email protected]. And yeah, so we love to bring on new artist members as well as new business members. This is a really great program that just benefits the community all around.
Frank Dagnillo: Hi, Allyson. How are you?
Allyson McDuffie: I’m pretty good. How are you?
Frank Dagnillo: Doing great. It’s nice to see our artwork here at the KGNU Boulder Studio. What can you tell me about yourself, Allyson?
Allyson McDuffie: I’ve been a long time Boulder resident and moved here in 1992 from Ohio where I grew up, and been an artist pretty much my whole life. But as most artists, I spent a lot of years working different jobs. My last kind of long-term gig was working in the tech world for about 18 years, and then three years ago I thought it was gonna kill me, so I quit and started doing my art full-time. Better late than never.
Frank Dagnillo: We’re excited to have an exhibit of yours here at the Boulder Studio. If any of you are in the area, come on down. We’ll have Allyson’s featured works here until eight o’clock. So what medium do you primarily use Allyson?
Allyson McDuffie: The stuff that’s on display here are called digital drawings. They’re really drawings, but they’re all done digitally. And then they’re output as archival pigment prints, so a very high quality fine art print. So that’s what you’re seeing if you come down tonight or sometime in the next, I dunno, how long is it up Kelle? Till through April?
Kelle Boumansour: I believe so, yes.
Allyson McDuffie: Yeah! A lot of really colorful, wacky imagery for you to enjoy. I had an exhibition at the Bus Stop Gallery, which Nobo runs in 2023. And Ella Cobb with the Boulder Daily Camera did a review of that show and the headline that she had for the article was called “A dead rooster and a dream inside the zany, subversive world of Boulder artist Allyson McDuffy.” And I thought that was the perfect headline. It’s a super high compliment to be called zany and subversive. It doesn’t get any better than that. So yeah, my work is big and colorful. It’s got a lot of themes that kind of intersect around memory, queer identity, societal norms, place. And yeah, it’s a lot of humor and satire mixed in. I know those, some of those topics can seem a little serious, but subverted by a definitely humorous piece of that.
Frank Dagnillo: Well, having looked at your pieces this evening, I agree. I think they’re very nice, complex pieces and I encourage any listeners that are in the area to please come down to our Boulder studio over here off Walnut Street. Anything you ladies would like to say?
Kelle Boumansour: Just how appreciative we are of KGNU’s support of the Nobo Art District. And yeah, looking forward to continued partnerships and working with more businesses and artists to get more art in place throughout the city.
Frank Dagnillo: Great.
Allyson McDuffie: Yeah, I’d love to just say that my studio is also up in North Boulder in the holiday neighborhood at 16th and Zamia. It’s also a small gallery where I show guest artists’ work as well as mine a couple of times a year. And starting on the first Friday in April, going through October every first Friday from 5:00 to 8:00 PM we have a big community event. I set my neighbors up with guest artists to show work and we have live music and food and it’s really a blast. So invite everyone please to come to our events. First Fridays, 5:00 to 8:00 PM 16th and Zamia.
Frank Dagnillo: So if listeners were interested in doing those first Friday events, how would they find out about those?
Allyson McDuffie: You can go to kinstudioboulder.com. KIN Kin, as in, “you’re my kin.” And find info there.
Frank Dagnillo: Thank you very much for your time.
Allyson McDuffie: Yeah, thank you.
