Karen Olson - Bio and CV

Karen Olson is a lens-based artist working at the intersection of human emotion and the natural world.  In her figurative and nature-inspired work, Karen uses concept-based projects to explore the human-nature connection and its role in fostering mental health and communication. Karen seeks an open dialog with subjects such as grief, trauma, empathy, and forest bathing. She illustrates these multi-sensory experiences by blending and layering photographic elements to create ethereal and immersive imagery.

Recently interviewed for her project Wildlight by the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts, Karen’s sculptural photography has gained attention and press. Her work has been featured by the Griffin Museum of Photography, Art New England magazine, Maine Magazine, and One Twelve Publishing. Karen was chosen as an Rfotofolio selected artist for 2021 and was recently included in a Float Photo Magazine exhibition. Her work has appeared in numerous gallery shows, magazines, and private collections throughout the US. Waterfall Arts hosted her solo show ‘The Embrace’ in 2022. Karen serves on the board as web-editor for The International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists and is a creative consultant for Zamana Art.

EXHIBITIONS

2024 Maine Museum of Photographic Arts, In the Making, Portland,ME
2024 Pulp to Pages, Academic Commons on the University of Denver, Abecedarian Artists Books
2024 Local Color Gallery Guest Artist, Feb to April
2024 Glickman Library, Book Arts Group Show, University of Maine
2023 Art Doc Photography Magazine, Online Exhibition - Through My Lens
2023 Carver Hill Gallery, Group Show, Camden, Maine
2023 Micheal Good Gallery, Structure and Narrative, Group Show, Rockport, Maine
2023 Paper Alive! International Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists Congress Exhibition, Dresden, Germany
2023 Guest Artist, Local Color Gallery, Belfast, Maine
2023 Tree Speech, Group Exhibition, Cove Street Arts, Portland, Maine
2022 Shifting Sequences, Maine Magazine Exhibition, Jurors Hilary Irons, Anjuli Lebowitz, Timothy Peterson, Samantha Butler
2022 Compendium, Group Show, George Marshall Gallery, Juror Lauren Szumita
2022 Unspoken Word, Midcoast Maine Book Arts Group Show, Blue Hill Public Library, Blue Hill, Maine
2022 Solo Show, Waterfall Arts, Belfast, Maine, Program Director Amy Tingle
2022    Float Photo, Photo Not Photo online exhibition, Jurors Jennifer Marion and Andre Ramos-Woodward
2021    Griffin Museum of Photography, Members Show
2021    LA Photo Curator 2021 Top Forty, Curator Laurie Freitag
2021 Selected Artist 2021, Rfotfolio, Juror, Diana Bloomfield
2021                    Feature Artist Show, Sweethaven Gallery, Newburyport, MA, Aug-Sept
2021                    Online Feature and Article  by Deb Dawson, The Antidote, Maine Museum of
                          Photographic Arts, Portland, Maine
2021                    Group Show, Maine Photography Show, Juror Bruce Brown
2021                    Behind the Lens, Women in Photography, Rhode Island Center for
                          Photography
2021                    NY Photo Curator, Transformations, Juror, Anne Kelly
2021                    Virtual Gallery Exhibition, Griffin Museum of Photography, Jan 7-Feb 14,
2020                   Annual Photobook Show, Davis Orton Gallery and Griffin Museum of
.                          Photography, Jurors Karen Davis and Paula Tognarelli
2020                   Glimmer, Group Show, Gallery Sitka, Shirley, Mass, Juror Melissa Richard
2020                   Online Feature, The Antidote, Maine Museum of Photographic Arts
2020                   Group Show, Torpedo Arts Center, 'In My Head, In my Body', Juror Shanti
                           Norris
2020                   Group Show, Griffin Museum of Photography, Juror Alexa Dilworth
2020                   Online Exhibition, On Winter's Margin, Overexposed Magazine
2020                   Group Show, The Heart Goes Nine, Rhode Island Center for photography,
                           Juror Sybylla Smith
2020                   Group Show, Mirror Image, Don’t Take Pictures Online Exhibition
2020                   Honorable Mention, Group Show, Maine Photography Show, Juror Greg Rec
2019                   Group Show, Online exhibition, Black and White, Photo Place Gallery, Juror    
                           Jennifer Schlesinger
2019                   Two Person Show, Hidden Dimensions, The Art Loft, Rockland, Maine
2018                   Two Person Show, If Only in a Dream, The Art Loft, Rockland, Maine

PRINT

2023 Confluence, IAPMA Bulletin #62
2022 Maine Magazine, 18 Up and Coming Maine Artists, September 2022
2021 Feature Article, Poignant Pics, One Twelve Publishing, Author, Diana Nicletter Jeon
2021 Feature Article, Art New England magazine, Author Deb Hemley
2021               Feature Story, Online Publication, Creative Maine Magazine
2021               Three Featured Images, The Hand Magazine
2020                  Between Two Worlds-Processing Grief and Trauma, A Visual Companion, Self
                          Published Book
2019                   Two Featured Images, The Hand Magazine
2017                   Instagram Feature, Bella Grace Magazine,
2017                   Group Feature, Mingle Magazine
2016                   Feature Article, Artful Blogging Magazine
2015                   PhotoTherapy: Processing Emotion with Photography, Self Published Book

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

2023 Friday Feature Artist, Fibre Arts Take Two, Online Interview
2022 Artist Talk on the Trail, Head of Tide Trail, Coastal Mountains Land Trust, Sponsor
2022 The Drop, Water Arts Podcast
2021 Photographic Reasource Center PRC Nights, Photo As Object, Somerville, MA
2021 Video Interview with Laura Valenti, Workshop addition

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2024 Juror, IAPMA Biennale 2024
2022 - Present Web-Editor, Marketing Coordinator, Board Member, International Asso Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists
2020 - Present Creative Consultant, Zamana Art
2010 - Present Graphic Design, Custom Pop-Ups
2018-2019          Executive Director, The Art Loft, non-profit community art center, Rockland,
                        Maine
2016-2017          Operations Director, The Art Loft, non-profit community art center, Rockland,
                        Maine
2016-2019          Instructor, The Art Loft, photography, creativity, and technology
2016-2020         Independent Instructor in Wordpress and photography
2019-2020         Graphic Art Designer, Custom Pop Ups Card Company, San Diego, California

 RESIDENCIES

2018                  The Art Loft, Rockland, Maine   August 1-30, 2018, Artist in Residence 

EDUCATION

Art of Seeing, Maine Media College Workshop, Instructor: Elizabeth Opalenik, Summer 2021
Photographic Objects Workshop, Maine Media College, Instructor: Dawn Surratt, Spring 2021
Projects II, Maine Media College, Instructor: Elizabeth Greenberg, Winter 2020
Concept Aware Workshop, Maine Media College, Instructor: Sybylla Smith, Winter 2019
Finding Stillness Photography Workshop, Instructor: Kim Klassen, Fall 2016
Still Life Photography Online Classes, Instructor: Kim Klassen, 2014-2016