Katrina Knutson

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HomeArtistsKatrina Knutson

Katrina Knutson was born in South Minneapolis and raised on working class ethics, progressive politics, street art and hip-hop. Since then, she has lived everywhere from Mexico City to Toronto, studying art and looking for inspiration under bridges, on the streets, and in galleries across North America. But no matter how far she travels, Minneapolis will always be home.

The connection between justice, creating, building, teaching, learning and sharing is central to the way Katrina lives her life and what she hopes to accomplish in her work.

More About the Artist


Katrina spent 6 years at Minneapolis’ Interact Visual and Performing Arts Center, working with adult artists with disabilities as a painting and drawing instructor, and curating the Inside Out Gallery. She is a member of Younity, a New York-based urban women’s art collective. Katrina is a founding member of both Tantrum Art Collective (a group of local, urban, social justice and community focused artists) and Riot Design (a collective of painters, designers, photographers and emcees, with artists in Toronto, San Francisco, London, Mexico City, Milwaukee and Minneapolis).

Currently, Katrina designs and teaches workshops and classes to youth across the Twin Cities at galleries, art centers, libraries and schools. She is an active community muralist and works on her own studio art, especially during the long cold winters.

Learn more about Katrina in her July 2018 Artist Spotlight Interview.

In addition to the programs below, Katrina is available for mural projects.

Program Offerings

Virtual or Remote Programs

Virtual Residency: Drawing Club

Learn to draw, hone your skills, and share ideas with peers in a positive, encouraging space where artists of all skill levels explore drawing with a variety of media. Each week is a new exploration in media and techniques: abstract, collage, botanical, portraits, blind contour drawing, still-life, watercolor, charcoal, pastel, pencil.

Art Kit: Surreal Collage

I am inspired by the work of Hannah Hoch, a German Dada artist who used collage to critique fashion and beauty magazines’ images in the 1920s. She was one of the first artists to make art by piecing together cut apart pictures from photos and magazines. Also, Krista Franklin a Chicago based artist, use of collage work has been featured on the television series Empire!
Materials in kit: magazines, paper, a glue stick and a collage in process

Residencies

Print Making

Learn about color, layers and negative and positive space with mono and block printing. Make works of art and multiples for cards or even t-shirts, with this hands-on graphic art.

Available as a workshop or a residency.

Self-Portraits

Study of self: looking at ourselves in the mirror and through photos, we will paint, draw, and collage images of ourselves. The final product will be a piece or pieces that incorporate deeper pieces of you we are, using imagery to represent what we love, what we can do and/or where we are from.

Stencils, Street Art & Graffiti

Learn a brief history of this young and influential art form, created by kids in urban centers of the United States. Create drawings and/or collages of words or names inspired by graffiti lettering styles. In the warmer months, and with outdoor space we can work with spray paint, and practice large bubble letters or make stencils to paint images on t shirts, canvas, or wood!

Upcycled Jewelry Making

Create interesting wearable art from used bike tubes and things you find at a hardware store. Alter tubes into dynamic shapes and add chain and metal pieces. Make necklaces, earrings and bracelets with an industrial and urban feel and look. 

Participants can make at least 1 necklace and 2 pairs of earrings or a bracelet.

Workshops

Intro to Rosemaling

Learn the basics of this traditional Norwegian folk art, originated from the rural, working class people of Norway in the 1700s. We will use the basic brush strokes to create beautiful flower patterns, great for handmade gifts and cards.

Hands-on Modern Art History

Learn about the work and techniques of some the most influential artists from now and the last century.

In each session, we will look at the work of each artist and start an art piece inspired by their technique and subject matter. Other artists I enjoy teaching about in this class are street artists Banksy and Swoon; Frida Kahlo, Charley Harper, Jackson Pollock and Lee Kranser—and I’m open to requests.

Patterned Paper and Abandoned Art Collage

Collage with patterned paper and discarded/abandoned art! Inspired by illustrations in beloved children’s books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Snowy Day, and Frederick we will create scenes cutting the shapes from a selection of color, patterned and painted on paper. Find inspiration in the colors, shapes, and textures.

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COMPAS is an arts education nonprofit that puts creativity in the hands of Minnesotans, regardless of their age, background, or skills. Based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, COMPAS teaching artists deliver creative experiences and arts programming across Minnesota.

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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.