"I paint how I see the world in my mind. I’ve been accruing images and colors in my head for as far back as I can remember. Even spoken words have color to me."
RESUME
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art , Mount Mary University, Milwaukee, WI
AWARDS:
POSTER ARTIST, Art Birmingham, MI, September 2024
POSTER ARTIST, ArtFest Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL, February 2021
AWARD OF DISTINCTION, Bonita Springs National Art Festival, March, 2020
BEST OF 2-D, Gold Coast Art Festival, Chicago, IL, June 2019
POSTER ARTIST, Cottonwood Art Festival, Richardson, TX, May, 2019
BEST OF 2-D, Naples National Art Festival, Naples. FL, February 2018
POSTER ARTIST, Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, 2018
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, Barrington Art Festival, Barrington, IL, May, 2017
BEST OF PAINTING, Third Ward Art Festival, Milwaukee, WI, September, 2016, 2019, 2021
BEST OF PAINTING, Southport Art Festival, Chicago, IL, July 2016
MERIT AWARD, PAINTING, Barrington Art Festival, Barrington, IL, May 2001, 2012, 2015 & 2016
MERIT AWARD, PAINTING, Third Ward Art Festival, Milwaukee, WI, September 2013, 2014, 2023
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, Buffalo Grove Art Invitational, Buffalo Grove, IL, July, 2012
MERIT AWARD, PAINTING, Art At The Glen, Glenview, IL, August, 2010
2ND PLACE, DuBuqueFest Fine Art Festival, Dubuque, IA, May 2010
PURCHASE AWARD, Midsummer Festival of Arts, Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI, July 2009
HONORABLE MENTION, Art in the Park, Oak Park, IL, May 2009
MERIT AWARD, PAINTING, Arlington Heights Art In The Market, Arlington Heights, IL, June, 2008
HONORARY PAINTING AWARD, East Lansing Art Festival, East Lansing, MI, May 2007
MERIT AWARD, PAINTING, Lincolnshire Art Festival, Lincolnshire, IL, July 2006
FIRST PLACE, Painting, Wells Street Art Festival, Chicago, IL, June 2005
OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER AWARD, Old Capitol Art Fair, Springfield, IL, May 2004
EXCELLENCE AWARD, Art In The Park, Oak Park, IL, May 2003
MERIT AWARD, Prairie Arts Festival, Schaumburg, IL, May 2002
MERIT AWARD, Audubon Art Fair, Milwaukee, WI, June 2001
PURCHASE AWARD, Riverwalk Fine Art Fair, Naperville, IL, September 1999
BEST OF SHOW, Tallman Arts Festival, Janesville, WI, August 1997
2ND PLACE, Painting, Oshkosh Public Museum Art Fair, Oshkosh, WI, July 1997
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, Art In The Market, Arlington Heights, IL, August 1996
HONORABLE MENTION, Art In The Park, Downer’s Grove, IL, June 1995 & 1996
BEST OF SHOW, Fine Art, Holy Hill Art Fair, Hubertus, WI, September 1995
SELECTED SHOWINGS AND EXHIBITIONS:
ART FEST FORT MYERS, Fort Myers, FL, February, 2021
NAPLES NEW YEARS ART FESTIVAL, Naples, FL, January 2019 - 2024
WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL, Winter Park, FL 2019
NAPLES NATIONAL ART FESTIVAL, Naples, FL, February 2018
BONITA SPRINGS ART FESTIVAL, Bonita Springs, FL January 2019 - 2022
SAINT LOUIS ART FAIR, Clayton, MO, September 2018
COTTONWOOD ART FESTIVAL, Richardson, TX, May 2019 - 2022
COLUMBUS ART FESTIVAL, Columbus, OH, June 2018
RITTENHOUSE SQUARE FINE ART FESTIVAL, Philadelphia, PA, 2017 - 2024
ANN ARBOR STREET ART FAIR, THE ORIGINAL, Ann Arbor, MI 2017 - 2019
BROOKSIDE ART ANNUAL, Kansas City, MO., May 2018
BELLEVILLE ART FESTIVAL, Belleville, IL, May 2017
FIESTA ART FAIR, San Antonio, TX, April 2017 & 2022
GASPARILLA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, Tampa, FL, March 2017, 2019 & 2023
BAYOU ART FESTIVAL, Houston, TX, March 2014, 2017
THIRD WARD ART FESTIVAL, Milwaukee, WI, September, 2013-2017 & 2021-2024
KANELAND ARTS INITIATIVE DEMONSTRATING ARTIST, Maple Park, IL, April, 2016
LAKEFRONT FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, Milwaukee, WI, June 2013 & 2018
CHERRY CREEK ART FESTIVAL, Denver, CO, July 2013
MAIN STREET ART FESTIVAL, Fort Worth, TX, April 2013
COCONUT GROVE ARTS FESTIVAL, Miami, FL, February 2013 & 2019
BEAUX ARTS FESTIVAL OF ARTS, University of Miami, January 2012-2014, 2017-2018
SOLO EXHIBITION, "NEW GALLERY, NEW WORK", KMW Gallery & Studio, Milwaukee, WI, 2011
GROUP EXHIBITION, "One Painting a Month, Layered" ART BAR, Milwaukee Riverwest, 2010
ELMHURST ART MUSEUM'S ART IN THE PARK, Elmhurst, IL, May 2008 - 2012, 2014-2015, 2022-2024
PRAIRIE VILLAGE ART FAIR, Prairie Village, KS, May 2010, 2013, 2014 & 2024
FOUNTAIN SQUARE ART FESTIVAL, Evanston, IL, June 2009 - 2012, 2014-2017
MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI, JULY 2007-2009
GOLDCOAST ART FAIR, Chicago, IL, August, 2006-2008 & 2019
BUCKTOWN ARTS FEST, Chicago, IL, August 2005 - 2007, 2009-2018
WELLS STREET ART FESTIVAL, Chicago, IL, June 1995, 1997–2006, 2008
57th STREET ART FAIR, Chicago, IL, June 2005 - 2008
ALEXANDRIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, Alexandria, VA, September 2009 - 2014
HIDDEN RIVER ART FESTIVAL, S.L. Wilson Center, Brookfield, WI, September 2009, 2010 & 2012
ART FAIR ON THE SQUARE, Madison, WI, July 2000, 2004, 2017, 2018, 2022-2024
PORT CLINTON ART FESTIVAL, Highland Park, IL, August 2000-2003, 2008-2009 & 2024
CHICAGO TRIBUNE ART FESTIVAL, Chicago, IL, July 1999, 2000, 2002 & 2009 - 2010, 2012 & 2014
GALLERY NIGHT, Milwaukee, WI, April 2000 & 2001, 2011 & 2012
SOLO EXHIBITION, The Gallery at Post 814, Milwaukee, WI, April 20th – July 9th, 2001
MUSEUMS:
MARIETTA MUSEUM OF ART & WHIMSY, Sarasota, FL
GALLERY MANAGEMENT:
MARSHALL BUILDING KMW STUDIO, Milwaukee's Third Ward, WI, 2010-2013
STANFORD ART GALLERY, Menomonee Falls, WI, 2008-2010
GUEST SPEAKER:
MENOMONEE FALLS HIGH SCHOOL, Menomonee Falls, WI 2023
MENOMONEE FALLS ART GUILD, Menomonee Falls, WI 2019
GERMANTOWN HIGH SCHOOL, Art Honors Students, Germantown, WI, 2012
ST. MARY GRADE SCHOOL, Career Day, Menomonee Falls, WI, 2007-2017
PUBLIC MURALS:
ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL, Memphis, TN, (6' x 10' mural on canvas)
MENOMONEE FALLS, WI, 11'x 27' Outdoor Mural on the BID Building, commissioned by the city
JACK RUSSELL MEMORIAL LIBRARY, Hartford, WI (8-panel mural on canvas)
BUREAU OF MILWAUKEE CHILD WELFARE, Milwaukee, WI ( 8' x 18' mural on canvas)
SELECTED CORPORATE COLLECTIONS:
EPIC SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Verona, WI
ENDEMIK ARCHITECTURE ., La Reunion, France
WHITE HOUSE BLACK MARKET, Owner
BLUEDOOR PUBLISHING, Minneapolis, MN
NYE OBSTETRICS, Chicago, IL
MUIR GRAPHICS, Owner, Peoria, IL
ZIZZO GROUP MARKETING, Milwaukee, WI
DISNEYLAND, Anaheim, CA
BROWN TRAFFIC COMPANY, Davenport, IA
POSTER ARTIST
ArtFest Fort Myers, 2021
POSTER ARTIST
Cottonwood Art Festival, 2019
POSTER ARTIST
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, 2018
POSTER ARTIST
Birmingham Street Art Fair 2024
I want the viewer to be IN my work - to step up VERY close, like close enough to make an art museum guard nervous. To encourage this, there is a profuse amount of detail, sgraffito, tiny resist drawings, and mark-making in the background of my work. My 6-year-old self imagined room-sized paintings and attempted to create them on my own bedroom walls. Maturity and an art degree led me to work on canvas - the larger, the better.
My recent work is inspired by my outdoor childhood play area - acres of wildflowers and weeds on city-owned land in Milwaukee where I grew up. Because I want the viewer to feel like they've entered my world, I prefer to work large. Recently, I've begun using 2 or 3 canvases to make each very large work. I like the vertical seams created by the abutting canvases, like the seams in installed wallpaper. I have a goal of making a truly room-sized painting, so my 6-year-old self will calm down.
Each of my paintings, no matter how big or small, is a little environment - the result of hours and hours of layers and techniques that have evolved with me as an artist over the past 26 years. There is nothing like the feeling when a piece finally looks “whole” to me. I add processes as they come to me, and let others fall away, sometimes without even realizing it. I can’t wait to see what sneaks itself into my work next.
As for the origin of the little drawings and scribbles (sgraffito) inherent in my work, all I know for sure that they have to be there. I believe I was born making little drawings – I can’t remember not knowing I was an artist. I was the kid who got in trouble for drawing on the desk in school, and on the walls at home. I’ve been accruing visual images and colors in my head for as far back as I can remember (even spoken words have color to me). All of this is continually regenerating in my mind - a constant supply of visual inspiration – lucky me! Also, isn’t it wonderful that all of these little scribblings entertain up close, yet serve a purpose (visual texture) as you view my work from a distance?
I have a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Mount Mary University in Milwaukee. I’ve shown in hundreds of fine art fairs (and won many awards) around the country; I also work with galleries, dealers and designers. My work is collected by numerous private collectors, business and corporations on five continents.
I like that people are intrigued by the originality of my work, yet feel a familiarity in its sophisticated naivety.
- Kathleen