The Midwest Artist Studios Project has spent the past three years traveling the Midwest interviewing 24 artists from 18 cities/towns. This project has been such a joy to create and to see how these artists have touched the lives of art students through online interactions, emails, and social media.

One of the areas we pride ourselves in is staying in touch with these artists and hearing what they are up to these days? For the next two-months the MAS Project will be spotlighting one of our 24 artists by sharing with you what they are doing in their studio as well as in their communities. 

All three of our MAS publications are now available online.

Click here to buy your copy today!

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Karri Dieken

2016 MAS artist from North Dakota

MAS: In what ways have you benefitted from your participation in MAS?

KD: Built a larger art community, sharing art and artist from the project with students at VCSU. The projected has had a way of keeping me connected to the practice of making. Current roles in art education, tend to take away from studio time, the MAS project has inspired daily mini projects, to larger more intricate pieces. 

MAS: In what ways has your work and/or working environment changed since your MAS interview?

KD: In the past year much of the work was focused on the absence of colour, using only white on white in its variations. The new series of work focuses more on photorealism, representation through photographic truths, and emphasis on colour as memory. 

MAS: What is one thing you wish you’d said in your original interview, or what is the one thing that you hope the MAS audience remembers about your and your work?

KD: There is plenty to be said when it comes to advocating for the arts, I could go on for days about the small steps to larger steps to take to raise awareness and creating a community for the arts. However, its limited to action from these words. I hope that people take away a sense of opportunity from the work, see the mistakes and embrace them, and become motivated to find their creative voice in the act of making. 

Photos courtesy of Brenna Winter, VCSU Art Major

Looking Ahead

Karri will be participating in the following:

February 5-12: North Dakota Museum of Art “This Week Only” digital cross stitch print “Kadoka” Grand Forks ND

March 4: Plains Art Museum, 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Exhibition and Educator Pin Award, for student Megan Tichy scholastic achievement. Fargo, ND.

March 10:  MAS exhibition, reception: 5-9pm at Walker’s Point Center for the Arts. 

May 20: Barnes County Museum Artist Lecture Series “The Last Bite” Valley Cit, ND

Visit Karri’s website to see more of her work.

All images copyright of the artist and used with permission.