Karen Snouffer joined the department in 1998 and received her MFA from Ohio State University. She teaches painting, drawing and installation. Her work, which concentrates on installation and painting, is exhibited nationally.

Areas of Expertise

Drawing, painting, installation

Education

1987 M.F.A., The Ohio State University, Painting, Drawing, and Expanded Arts
1968 B.S., The Ohio State University, Art Education/Fine Arts

Courses Taught

Arts 102: Drawing I
Arts 250: Fundamentals of Painting
Arts 351: Contemporary Painting Practices
Arts 352: Painting Redefined
Arts 480,481: Advanced Studio

Artist's Statement

Memory, place and identity, are themes I continue to explore in my studio. Sensitive to the psychological weight that objects and materials carry, I am mindful that this deciphering centers on personal experience and cultural meaning. In much of my work, the act of remembering plays a dominant role in my emotional and artistic concerns, whether it is rooted in poignant past events or in childlike play. In turn, mining the past becomes part of questioning and exploring identity. A sense of place likewise, impacts identity. Recently, I have conflated imagery from disparate locales and cultures, a process that posits, "How does geographical place impart influence on one's psychic space?"

"As a multi-media installation artist, I utilize drawing, painting, collage, three-dimensional forms and video in tandem or alone in environments. I choose materials and methods based on which best convey my message and allow me to experience integrated, intuitive connections.

"How do my studio approaches impact my teaching? I encourage students to value traditional processes, while being open to the excitement of searching out non-traditional, contemporary methodologies. My students learn that art making inevitably leads to a questioning of the self within the world. Likewise, I tell them that making art will result in both anguish and exhilaration, that these emotional states are necessary for artistic and personal growth. In the midst of a dynamic liberal arts setting, I encourage students to utilize an interdisciplinary approach, confident that it will support the development of a broad, yet deeply rich visual language."