Chloe McKinley
A lifelong passion for the arts and natural sciences
Chloe graduated from Beloit College in 2020 with two degrees: Studio Art and Biology. Throughout their college career, they primarily worked in oil paints, but an opportunity to paint two murals in a dorm building led to a quick learning curve in acrylic and latex paint techniques. Since their first mural, Chloe has developed a passion for transforming spaces through large-scale artistic and design choices.
Chloe has been working as a naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center since 2021. They’ve led innumerable class groups through forests and streams, exploring the outdoors and fostering an appreciation for the little things. Chloe applied their careful nature observations to two larger-than-life murals at Wolf Ridge, which feature the flora and fauna of the Minnesota Northwoods.
Chloe’s style of painting is inspired by impressionism, their brushstrokes and palette forming a dream or half-remembered story while still clinging to reality. Chloe aims to create scenes that peek behind the curtain of the fantastical natural world, bringing together a result that is embraced by wonder and storytelling.