Eliaichi Kimaro worked for 12 years as a crisis counselor before her life took a creative detour. In 2003, she found filmmaking, and went on to produce over 80 videos for nonprofits addressing social justice issues.
Her documentary film A Lot Like You (2011) explores her family’s stories through the lens of culture, race, class and gender. Her movie went on to win numerous awards at film festivals before being broadcast nationally on PBS. Eliaichi was active on the campus/conference lecture circuit for nine years, engaging with audiences around the world about the issues raised in her film. In 2016, she distilled her 100+ keynotes into her 2016 TEDx talk, “Why the World Needs Your Story.
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Since 2014, painting has been her focus. Eliaichi was selected for the Center on Contemporary Art Residency and the Artist Trust Fellowship. She’s received multiple grants from CityArtist, 4Culture and Artist Trust for her work in art and film. Recently, she received the McMillen Foundation Arts Fellowship, the Denis Diderot Grant and the Chateau Orquevaux International Artist Residency in France.
Eliaichi has exhibited nationally and internationally and her work is included in private collections around the world. She is a former member of Columbia City Gallery and COCA Gallery, and has served on numerous Boards, grant panels, film festival juries, and museum exhibition committees.
