Artist Statement
Being an artist and an advocate has been woven into everything I do. Growing up in Berkeley in the 1960’s I learned to speak out for social justice. My years in the Pacific Northwest have shown me how to find joy in nature. Art is my voice, and my message is that human rights and the preserving nature are essential to our continued existence.
I create my art by utilizing whatever materials, and form best convey my message. Organic materials, homemade papers and fibers are used in my paintings and sculptures to convey we are all part of the natural world. I want people to feel they are part of what I have created, that it touches a part of them that may have long ago forgotten.
I consider my work a success when it evokes emotion and challenges the viewer to not only think about what they see, but to act based on what they now might see differently. Caught in between the rapidly growing tensions of preservation and change, I want my art to give people hope and start a dialog about what is the best way forward.
Biography
Growing up in Berkeley in the 1960’s set the trajectory for Kathleen Cosgrove as an arts advocate and social change artist.
After raising her family and selling her lobbying firm she returned to school. She graduated from Pacific Northwest College of Art with a BFA at the age of 51.
Ms. Cosgrove’s art has consistently dealt with the passage of time, destruction, renewal, and other social issues. Her current project, Feeling Our Age, addresses outdated stereotypes and attitudes towards older women. Kathleen painted 60 strong, racially diverse women, over the age of 60 and asked them to write about how it feels to be their age. She has participants from several countries.
Kathleen maintains a full-time studio practice in Vancouver, Washington and has a second studio in Manzanita, Oregon. She is represented by Coast Galley in Manzanita and can be seen in solo, and group shows throughout the United States.
Publications
- Feeling Our Age – Sixty Over Sixty. Replacing Outdated Attitudes about Aging. Book 2023.
- Hell and High Water, Catalog – 2022.
- A Sense of Place, Catalog – 2019.
- Universal Truth, Book – 2015.
- Studio Visit, Volume 24 – Winter 2013.
- A River Runs Through It, Limited Edition Print and Open Run sold at REI Retail Stores throughout the Pacific Northwest – 2003.
Resume
Click to view resume and listing of exhibitions.
