Karen M Wirth
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BIO
Karen M Wirth’s artwork explores the relationships between words, objects, and space through artist’s books, sculpture, public art, and critical writing. She co- designed the sculptural staircase at Open Book and four of the Blue Line light rail stations in Minneapolis. Wirth has received fellowships from the Bush, McKnight and Jerome Foundations, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Wirth holds an MFA in sculpture from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and was the Vice President of Academic Affairs and interim President at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Artist Statement
Forms of Water and Protype are from a series of works that are the result observation, documentation and interpretation of specific landscapes: arctic Svalbard and western Ireland. History leaves a mark, humans leave evidence.
Little About Karen
What inspires your work?
Paying attention.
What do you consider your most significant achievement as an artist?
Having a successful and recognized studio career while also having a successful and high-level academic career.
How has your work evolved over time?
Topics and themes recur, but with more layering, complexity and sophistication.
Is there a particular medium or subject you're drawn to, and why?
The concept and form of the book is the starting place for installations, relief sculpture, and of course artist’s books.
What's the most challenging part of being an artist?
In many ways, making the work is the first step. Getting it out there requires a commitment to the business end as well.
Do you have a favorite piece you've created? Why does it stand out?
Vertical Circulation, an installation that encompassed time, place and a connecting to being present in the world.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
Born in Milwaukee; adult life in Washington DC, La Jolla CA, Minneapolis
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
Relish the joy of the creative act, and follow it with perseverance and persistence.
