Karen Schmidt is fascinated by the depth and complexity of emotion common to all people of the earth. Her figures captivate the viewer and draw them into a story.
After earning her degree in art and education, Karen Schmidt worked as an elementary school teacher and a full-time homemaker, and found many creative outlets through designing and making banners and installation art for various churches. Beginning in 1996, she studied under Russian artist and sculptor Simon Kogan, gaining a foundational knowledge of the classical approach to the human figure. Karen was awarded her first commission, “Maasai Mother and Child,” in 1997 and since that time most of her work has been by commission. Karen has drawn particular inspiration from several trips to East Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. She has a passion to express her faith through sculpture, and delights in communicating spiritual truth through form, gesture, and symbol. She is a member of the Association of Consultants for Liturgical Space (ACLS).
Commissions
“Holy
Family” sponsored by St. Pius X Catholic Church, Montville, New Jersey
2008
“Return of the Prodigal Son (after Rembrandt)” sponsored by Doug
and Debra Bassett,
Laguna Hills, California 2008
Desk-size replica of church sign in bronze, for Central Christian Church of
the East Valley,
Mesa, Arizona 2008
“Harold Richards” portrait for Newport Mesa Half-Way House, 2007
“Crucifix” Sponsored by Laura Alvord, Fullerton, California, 2005.
“Mary and Elizabeth” Sponsored by the Elizabeth House, Phoenix, Arizona, 2005.
“Ecstasy
on Ice” Was sponsored by Karen Broostrom for her daughter, Brittania,
in
Puyallup, Washington, 2003.
“Towel Banner” for the Eucharistic chapel at St. Andrew Catholic Church, Sumner, Washington; sponsored by St. Andrew Catholic Church, 2001.
“Corpus” for the crucifix at St. Andrew Catholic Church, Sumner, Washington, sponsored by St. Andrew Catholic Church, 2000.
“Vietnamese Girl” Sponsored by Central Christian Church, Mesa, Arizona, for Joy Lawson, 1998.
“Maasai Mother and Child” Sponsored by South Hill Christian Church, for Tim and Debbie Doty, 1997.
Exhibitions
2007 “First Annual Sculpture Exhibition,” Bluebird ArtHouse,
Whittier, CA
2007 “Who do you say that I am?” juried exhiition, Cornerstone
Festival - Burning Brush, Bushnell, IL
2006-2007 “Dawn to Dawn ...journeys through pain to freedom”
juried exhibition traveling to:
St. John Lutheran Church, Orange, CA
Cal Baptist University, Riverside, CA
Capo Beach Calvary, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Concordia University, Irvine, CA
Midland University, Fremont, Nebraska
2006
"Made in California" juried exhibition, City of Brea Art Gallery,
Brea, CA
2005 “72nd Annual Exhibition” juried National Sculpture Society
Exhibition, New York City, NY, and Brookgreen Gardens, North Carolina in 2006
2005 “Confessing Tongues: God revealed through multiculturalism”
juried exhibition, Orange, CA and Concordia University, Irvine, CA
2005 “Embracing the Gift,” juried CIVA Exhibition, Azusa, CA
2005 “HUMANkind,” Rock Harbor Church, Costa Mesa, CA
1996 Childhood’s End Gallery, group exhibit, Olympia, WA
Awards
2007 Honorable Mention, Visual Arts Awards: Sacred Art, Ministry & Liturgy
Magazine, for “Holy Family”
2006 “Bene” award, Visual Arts Awards: Sacred Art, Ministry &
Liturgy magazine, for “Mary and Elizabeth”
2006 Honorable Mention and People’s Choice , “Made in California”
juried exhibition, City of Brea Gallery, CA, for "Ugandan Girl"
Collections
Doug and Debra Bassett, Laguna Hills, California
Harold and Justine Richards Foundation
Mike and Carol Flannery, Lake Oswego, Oregon
Wayne and Valeria Forte, Laguna Niguel, California
Cory and Constance Hubbard of Newport Coast, California
Neil and Jasmine Humphries, Victoria, Australia
LeRoy and Joy Lawson, Mesa, Arizona
Warren and Anne Miller, Puyallup, Washington
Doug and Robyn Priest, Indianapolis, Indiana
Saint Andrew's Catholic Church, Sumner, Washington
Bill and Yvonne Snider, San Diego, California
Roger and Carol Tomkins, Jacksonville, Florida
Alice Emmons, San Clemente, California
Education
2007
Scottsdale Artists' School
2004-2007 Simon Kogan workshops in sculpting portraits, bas-relief, and the
figure
1996-2000 Sculpting, Life Modeling, and Mold Making from Simon Kogan
1976 California State University Fullerton: Elementary Teaching Credential
1976 California State University Fullerton: BA, Art
1973 Fullerton College: AA, Art
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