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Karen Gutfreund is a curator focusing on feminist and social justice themed art and is also a practicing artist. She has worked in the Painting & Sculpture Department for MoMA, the Andre Emmerick Gallery, The Knoll Group, the John Berggruen Gallery and the Pacific Art League as well as an art consultant for corporations and individuals. She is partner in Gutfreund Cornett Art, a curatorial partnership that specializes in creating exhibitions in venues around the U.S. ​on themes of “art as activism” to stimulate dialog, ​raise consciousness ​and encourage social change. Karen has been actively involved on the board of various arts organizations, is a member of ArtTable and the No. California TFAP Representative (The Feminist Art Project).  Along with curating exhibitions, Karen is also creating her own work, focusing on art as activism to effect social change. She actively promotes the work of other artists as curator with national touring exhibitions. Karen has lived in all four corners of the United States with 20 years in the Bay Area of CA after New York City. She currently resides in Syracuse, NY but has a ranch outside of Yosemite where she plans to host artist residencies along with raising grass fed beef with her husband and family. 

Board Positions
Board Positions and Memberships:

  • Member – ArtTable  2015 – current
  • The Feminist Art Project 2013 – current
  • Board of Directors – Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art 2016 – 2018
  • Board of Directors – Museum & Gallery Liaison, Women’s Caucus for Art 2016
  • Board of Directors – Vice President Women’s Caucus for Art, 2014 – 2016
  • Board of Directors – National Exhibitions Director for WCA 2009 –2016
  • Curator and Exhibition Director – UniteWomen.org 2012 – 2016
  • Board of Directors – President, Peninsula WCA, 2009 – Feb 2012
  • Board of Directors – Exhibitions Chair for SBAWCA, 2007 – 2010
  • Board of Directors – Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 2003-2007
  • Board of Directors – Petaluma Arts Council, 2000-2002

Curator
Curator:

  • Go to GutfreundCornettArt to see our  “art as activism” exhibitions in this curatorial partnership between Sherri Cornett and me.
  • Curator for “Agency: Feminist Art and Power” in conjunction with the Feminist Art Project at the Museum of Sonoma County, September 11- February 22, 2021.
  • Curator for “Deadlocked and Loaded: Disarming America” at ArtRage Gallery, Syracuse, NY and The Community Folk Art Center, Syracuse University, February 11 – April 15, 2021.
  • Co-Curator for “31 Women” with Suzanne Whitney Smedt and Marianne McGrath at the Whitney Modern Gallery, Los Gatos, CA March 1 – April 5, 2020.
  • Juror for the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles: “Form and Function: Fiber Arts for the 21st Century, 2nd Artist Members Biennial, 10/20-11/24/19
  • Juror for “Freedom of Expression” at Webster Art, MO, Jan-Feb 2019.
  • Co-Curator for “F213” at Arc Gallery with NCWCA, April 2019.
  • Co-Curator for “RISE: Empower, Change and Action!” at the Whitney Modern, Los Gatos, CA, July-Aug 2018.
  • Co-Curator for “Beyond Borders: Stories of im/Migration” international juried exhibition for Gutfreund Cornett Art at Santa Clara University Art Gallery, Santa Clara, CA, Jan-April, 2018
  • Curator for “A Series of Fragments of Moments” at Arc Gallery, San Francisco, November 2017.
  • Juror for “HERStory 2017”, hosted by Manhattan Arts/Renee Phillips, Online, April 27 – June 27, 2017.
  • Curator (and artist) Embedded Messages, Debating the Dream: Truth, Justice and the American Way. Exhibiting at University of the Redlands, CA, October 2016 and The Art Center, Highland Park, IL, March 2017
  • Curator for “NASTY” at Arc Gallery, San Francisco, March 2017.
  • Co-Curator for “Social Justice: Happens to One, Happens to All” international juried exhibition for Gutfreund Cornett Art at St. Mary’s College Art Museum, Moraga, CA, 9/18 – 12/11/16
  • Co-Curator for “Vision: An Artist’s Perspective” international juried exhibition for Gutfreund Cornett Art with UniteWomen.org at Kaleid Gallery, San Jose, CA, 7/5 – 7/29/16
  • Co-Curator for “What’s Right, What’s Left: Democracy in America” international juried exhibition for Gutfreund Cornett Art at the Phoenix Gallery, NYC, 1/7 – 1/30/16
  • Co-Curator for “Visaural: Sight, Sound and Action” international juried exhibition for Gutfreund Cornett Art at Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA. 10/9 – 10/31/15
  • Curator: “Voices: An Artist’s Perspective”, national juried exhibition with Joan McLoughlin, McLoughlin Gallery SF and Amanda Uribe, gallery nine 5 and UniteWomen.org, at NAWA Gallery, NYC. 4/2 – 4/30/15.
  • Curator: “Views from the Edge: Women, Gender and Politics”. Curatorial award for Women’s History Month at the Sarah Doyle Gallery at Brown University in Providence, RI. 3/2 – 4/4/15.
  • Co-Curator of “Through the Eyes of the Mother” with Hye-Seong Tak Lee at the KCCoC (Korean Cultural Center of Chicago), February 8 – February 15, 2014
  • Co-Curator of “Man as Object – Reversing the Gaze”, with Priscilla Otani.  Curatorial Award from SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco; November 4-26, 2011.  And shown at the Kinsey Institute Museum April – June 2012.
  • “Control”, an exhibition of 79 California women artists, juried by the Guerrilla Girls West, sponsored by the Women’s Caucus for Art (South Bay Area) exhibited at SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco, 8/2009 and Ceres Gallery, NYC, 2/2011.
  • “What Lies Beneath”, ArtworkSF, San Francisco, CA 9/7 – 9/23/06
  • “Beyond Cancer”, online at http://www.svam.org/gallery/007/007_01.html

Exhibition Director
Exhibition Director:

  • “Trending”, WCA National Juried Exhibition at the Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory, Alexendria, VA. Juried by Elizabeth Garvey, Gallerist. 1/28 – 2/28/16
  • “What’s Right, What’s Left: Democracy in America” national juried exhibition by GCA at Phoenix Gallery, NYC, juried by Dr. Kathy Battista, Founder and Director of the MA Contemporary Art program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. 1/6 – 1/30/16
  • “Who’s Afraid of Feminism”, WCA National Juried Exhibition at A.I.R. Gallery, juried by Catherine Morris, Curator Elizabeth Sackler Center. NYC 9/10 – 10/10/15
  • WCA National Juried Exhibition at the Westbeth Center for the Arts, NYC with Petra Kuppers, Karen Gutfreund and Fay Grawjower as jurors from 2/7 – 2/22/15
  • “Identity”, international juried exhibition by Anne Swartz and Maria Elena Buszek at gallery nine5. NYC. 5/31-6/22/14
  • “Equilibrium – Art for a Changing World”, national juried exhibition by Beate Minkovski and Mary Stoppert. Chicago, 1/17 – 2/27/14
  • “Stories We Tell”, national juried exhibition by Jessica Porter, Porter Contemporary, NY at the Phoenix Gallery, NYC 9/4 – 9/28/13
  • “Bound”, national juried exhibition by Cora Rosevear, Associate Curator Painting and Sculpture, Museum of Modern Art to be shown at Phoenix Gallery, NYC 1/30 – 2/23/13
  • “Honoring Women’s Rights”. 9/8/12 – 1/7/13. Juried by Dr. Joyce Aiken, Dr. Ruth Weisberg, and Patricia Rodriguez shown at National Steinbeck Museum, Salinas, CA 9/8/12 – 1/7/13
  • “Petroleum Paradox”, national juried exhibition by Eleanor Heartney, Contributing Editor to Art in America and Artpress shown at Denise Bibro Fine Art, NYC, 5/24 – 6/23/12 and the Narrows Art Center, Fall River, MA spring 2013
  • “Momentum”, 2012 national juried exhibition by Rita Gonzalez, Associate Curator, LACMA shown at Gallery 825, LAAA in Los Angeles, 2/17 – 3/2/12
  • “Hidden Cities”, 2011 national juried exhibition by Lisa Phillips, Director, New Museum NYC, show at New Century Artists Gallery, NYC, 2/2011.

Panels
Panels:

  • Amplifying Inclusion: Intersectional Feminism in Contemporary Curatorial Practice, 2/13/20 at Collage Art Association in Chicago
  • “Beyond Borders: Stories of im/Migration”, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 2/3/18
  • “Art in the Age of Trump” at Arc Gallery, San Francisco, 11/15/17
  • “In Conversation” on Social Justice At at Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art, Moraga CA. 9/18/2016
  • “Through the Eyes of the Mother”, Gwanjgu Art Center, Gwanjgu, Korea, Dec 2014
  • “Motherhood in Balance” panel at the KCCoC (Korean Cultural Center of Chicago), February 13, 2014
  • “Women’s Caucus for Art’s Blockbuster Exhibitions: Renewal, Activism, and Innovation”, College Art Association 2013, NYC, Feb ‘13
  • “Man as Object: Reversing the Gaze”, Kinsey Institute, April 2012
  • “Working with Curators”, Arts of the Covenant, Menlo Park, CA, July ‘09
  • “SWAN Day Artists Panel”, (Support Women Artists Now), San Jose, CA, March ‘09

Exhibitions
Exhibitions:

Artist Statement: Depth, layer, texture, nuance, pattern, and foremost text–this is what always moves me. I collect words, sayings and mantras that have meaning to me, witty and universal appeal and incorporate them into my work. Another series of work is art as activism. I examine the juxtaposition of religious mantras and the resulting consequences of war and perceptions of freedom. Using hot political issues, I mix text, pop culture images, stencils, and symbols to create layered works that are a combination of personal commentary, political outrage and social observation. These works confront who we are and where we are going in a culture of exile and alienation between race, religion and political dogma in our turbulent society.

 SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:

2019

  • NCWCA hosted at Arc Gallery, San Francisco, “F213”, 4/13-5/12/2019

2018

  • Arc Gallery, San Francisco, “Four-Squared”. Aug 25-Oct 6, 2018

2017

  • Arc Gallery, San Francisco. “A Series of Fragments of Moments”, 11/11 – 12/9/17 
  • Arc Gallery, San Francisco. “Nasty”, 3/11 – 4/15/17 
  • The Art Center, Highland Park, IL. “Embedded Messages, Debating the Dream: Truth, Justice and the American Way”, 3/3 – 4/3/17
  • Joan McLoughlin Gallery, San Francisco. “Visual Abstractions”, 2/23 – 3/18/17

2016

  • LHUCA, Christine DeVitt Exhibition Hall, Lubbock, Texas. “When Language Meets Art”. Dec 2 – Jan 28, 2017
  • Marymount California University Gallery. Text, Type, Typography. San Pedro, CA. 11/3 – 1/18/2017
  • Charles Krause Reporting Fine Art, “Artists United, the Revolution Begins with Us”, Washington DC, October 8-November 19, 2016
  • University of the Redlands, “Embedded Messages, Debating the Dream: Truth, Justice and the American Way”. Oct 19 – November 13, 2016
  • OCCCA – Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA. tXtMe. 5/7 – 6/11/16.
  • Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA – “Off the Wall” 1/16

2015

  • Curated Spaces, Work put throughout SF for staging and pop-up shows
  • Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA – Open Studios 10/15

2014

  • NAU Art Museum, Flagstaff, AZ. “Painting in the World: Reflectinos on Politics, Violence and Reconcillation”, 9/18 – 11/22/14 juried by Eleanor Jones Harvey, Senior Curator, Smithsonian American Art Museum and George V. Speer, Director NAU Art Museum
  • Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL. “texttexttext”, 7/11 to 8/21/14 juried by Monika Szewczyk, Visual Arts Program Curator at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago
  • Transmission Gallery, Oakland, CA. “Disconnect”, 6/6 – 7/19/14 juried by Kelly Hammargren Exhibition Chair NCWCA with Ruth Santee Transmission Gallery Owner, Director and Professor of Art at San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, CA
  • Woman Made Gallery (online), Chicago. “Equilibrium, Art for a Changing World”, 1/17 – 2/27/14 juried by Beate Minkovski and Mary Stoppert

2013

  • Oceana Art Gallery, Pacifica, CA. “Read All Over”. 11/1 – 12/1/13. Juried by Paul D. Gibson, Painter.
  • Phoenix Gallery, NYC. “Stories We Tell”. 9/5 – 9/28/13. Juried by Jessica Porter, Owner, Porter Contemporary, NYC.
  • Narrows Art Center, Fall River, MA. “Petroleum Paradox”. Spring 2013.  Juried by Eleanor Heartney, Contributing Editor to Art in America and Artpress
  • Phoenix Gallery, NYC. “Bound”.  1/30-2/23/13. Juried by Cora Rosevear, Associate Curator Painting and Sculpture, Museum of Modern Art

2012

  • National Steinbeck Museum, Salinas, CA.  “Honoring Women’s Rights”. 9/8/12 – 1/7/13. Juried by
  • Dr. Joyce Aiken, Dr. Ruth Weisberg, and Patricia Rodriguez
  • Sebastopol Arts Center, Sebastopol, CA. “Borders and Boundaries”. 6/14 – 7/21.  Juried by Gail Wight, Associate Professor Experimental Media Arts, Department of Art and Art History, Stanford University
  • Denise Bibro Fine Art, NYC, “Petroleum Paradox”. 5/24 – 6/23.  Juried by Eleanor Heartney, Contributing Editor to Art in America and Artpress
  • Kinsey Institute Museum, University of Indiana, “Man as Object – Reversing the Gaze”.  4/12 – 6/12
  • Arc Studios, San Francisco, “Guerilla”, 12/11 to 1/12

2011

  • SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, “Man as Object – Reversing the Gaze”, 11/2011
  • Arc Studios, San Francisco, “A Sense of Place”, 5/2011
  • Lake Wales Arts Center, Lake Wales, Florida, “Western Views”, 2/3 – 3/10/2011
  • Ceres Gallery, New York City, CONTROL, 2/2011, juried by Guerrilla Girls West
  • New Century Artists Gallery, NYC, “Hidden Cities”, 2/2011, WCA National Show, juried by Lisa Phillips, Director of the New Museum, NYC

2010

  • Kaleid Gallery, San Jose, Co-Op Gallery – ongoing
  • Ann & Mark’s Art Party, Silicon Valley Art’s Council Fundraiser, 5/10
  • Avenue 25 Gallery, San Mateo, “Daydreams and Nightmares” 4/10
  • Foundry Art Center, St. Louis, “Contemporary Women Artist XV, Art as Activism”, 3/10 Juried by Yolanda Lopez
  • Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, “From the Center” (catalog) juried by Lucy Lippard
  • Community Gallery, Redwood City, CA, 1/5 – 3/1/10, “Transitions”

2009

  • SF Open Studios, San Francisco, Ft. Mason Center, 10/16-10/18
  • Visual Aid Gallery, San Francisco, 9/09 – 11/09, [after]life exhibition
  • Works San Jose, San Jose, 10/2 – 11/7/09, Member Show
  • Art Object Gallery, San Jose, 8/22 – 9/24/09, “XX Anniversary SBAWCA Show”
  • The Red Door Gallery, Oakland, 8/7 – 8/31, “Insights of Life from the Shadows of Death”
  • SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, 8/6-8/30, “CONTROL”
  • Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, 2/1 – 2/28, “Big, Red & Shiny”

2008

  • SJ Works, San Jose, 8/1 to 9/30/08, 2008 Member Show
  • MLK Library Gallery, San Jose, 7/2-7/30/08, “Inner Landscapes”
  • San Francisco International Arts Festival, ArtWorkSF, 4/29-5/31/08, “What Goes Around”
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 2/1-2/28/08, “Rose & Rouge”

2007

  • Rhonda Schaller Gallery, NYC, 12/1-12/20/07, “Small Rays of Hope”
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 11/29-12/2/07, “Our Thoughts and Musings”
  • SomArts, San Francisco, 11/10/07, Visual Aid “Big Deal”
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 10/25 – 11/29/07, “Art Shock – Beyond City Hall”
  • SBAWCA, Los Altos Library, 11/1 – 11/30/07, “Just for Fun”
  • ARTworkSF, San Francisco, 10/10 – 11/14/07, “All the Layers of Depth”
  • Kalid Gallery, San Jose, 8/1 – 10/31/07, Member Gallery Show
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 8/1 – 8/30/07, “Largely Abstract”
  • ARTworkSF, San Francisco, 7/30 – 8/25/07, “Soft Core, The Gentle Side of Human Form”
  • Artisans Gallery, San Rafael, 7/1 – 7/30/07, “Monochromatic”
  • San Jose Works, San Jose, 5/22 – 7/21/07, “2007 Members Show”
  • SBAWCA, MLK Library, San Jose, 5/1 – 5/30/07, “A Woman’s Touch”
  • Kinsey Institute Museum, Univ. of IN, 4/13-7/20/07,  “7th Annual Juried Show”
  • ARTworkSF, San Francisco, CA, 4/3 – 4/21/07, “Mixed Messages”
  • ArtsFest 2007, San Francisco, 3/30-4/1/07, “Spectra Ball”
  • Rhonda Schaller Gallery, NYC, 3/8 – 3/31/07, “Live Free or Die”
  • Living Room Gallery, Berkeley, CA, 2/10 – 3/11/07, “Sexicon 2007”
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA, 1/31 – 2/27/07, “Perks”
  • Peninsula Art Museum, Belmont, CA, 1/29-4/8, 2007 “Beaux & Eros II”
  • Polarity Post Productions, San Francisco, 1/13-4/14, 2007 “Action Potential”
  • Aurora Colors Gallery, Petaluma, CA, 1/13-2/17/07 “Venus & Cupid, Ode to Love”
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA, 1/5 -1/25/07 “What’s Love Got to Do with it”

2006

  • Solo Show:  Café Venue, San Francisco, March 1 – April 17
  • Artisans Art Gallery, San Rafael, CA 12/2 – 12/30/06 “Homage to 19th Century Paris”
  • WorksSJ, San Jose, CA, 11/21 – 12/2, 2006, 30th Annual Member Auction
  • O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA, 11/7-30, 2006 “Is Dada Dead”
  • ArtworkSF, 49 Geary, San Francisco, 10/5-10/31/06, “Art Hell”
  • ArtworkSF, 49 Geary San Francisco, 9/4-9/24/06, “What Lies Beneath”
  • The Esplanade, San Jose, 8/26 – 10/1 2006 Group Show
  • Peninsula Open Studios, Palo Alto, Sept 30-Oct 1/2006
  • Books Inc, Mountain View, 8/25 – 9/29 2006 “Open Studios Preview”
  • Art Mirage, Palo Alto, 8/20 – 9/29 2006 “Open Studios Preview”
  • SOMARTS Cultural Center, San Francisco, 8/23 – 8/24 2006, “One Night Stand”
  • Studio 333, Sausalito 8/9 – 9/10, 2006 “Found Object, Assemblage & Recycled Art Show”
  • SOMARTS Cultural Center, San Francisco, 8/4-8/17, 2006, “4th Annual Café Show”
  • ArtworkSF, Polarity Post Productions, San Francisco, July 15-October 14, 2006, Bay Area Natural: Real and Imagined Landscapes
  • Ceres Gallery, New York City, May 24th – June 17th, National Juried Show
  • San Francisco ArtsFest 2006, April 6th – 9th, 2006, Gala Auction
  • Deathpenaltyartshow.org, Austin, TX 5/6 – 5/22, 2006 “Death Penalty”
  • San Francisco ArtsFest 2006, April 6th – 9th, 2006, Group Show
  • SJWorks, San Jose, CA, March 28th – April 22nd , 2006 Members Show

2005

  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 9/30-10/31, “Perks Show”
  • SOMARTS Cultural Center, San Francisco, 8/27-9/1, “One Night Stand”
  • SOMARTS Cultural Center, San Francisco, 8/11-8/25, “3rd Annual Café Show”
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 7/30 – 6/23, 2005, “Face and Figure”
  • Redwood Massage & Sauna, San Francisco, 7/25-10/26, “Nourish”
  • SOMARTS Cultural Center, San Francisco, 7/1 – 7/14, 2005 “Eye of the Beholder”
  • Gallery One, San Francisco, 6/23 – 8/5, 2005, Group Show
  • University Arts, Palo Alto, 6/24 – 7/24, “Group Show for Prize Winners”
  • Squat & Gobble Café #2, San Francisco, 6/21 – 8/9, 2005 “Body Language”
  • ArtSF.org, San Francisco, 6/11 – 6/22, 2005, “Core”
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 5/26 – 6/23, 2005, “Abstractions”
  • ArtsFestSF 2005 Gala, San Francisco Design Center, 5/2005
  • SF ArtsFest 2005, Hotel Triton, San Francisco, 5/4 – 6/20, 2005 “surReality”
  • Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 3/28 – 4/27, 2005, “Exotica”
  • Gallery Blu, San Jose, Feb 10 – 24, 2005, “Valentine’s Show”
  • ArtSoup, Bayshore Studios, San Francisco, Jan 18 – April 19, 2005

2004

  • SoundScape Gallery, Santa Rosa, CA, Oct 11 – Nov 30, 2004 “11th Annual Erotica Show”
  • Studio Replica, Petaluma, CA, September 2004
  • “Art & Garden Festival”, Petaluma, CA, June 13 – 14, 2004
  • “3rd Annual Members Show”, Petaluma Coffee Café by PAC, Feb 16 – March 22, 2004

2003

  • Solo show: Zebulon’s Lounge, Petaluma, CA. June 7 – July 19, 2003.
  • Studio Replica, Petaluma, CA, November 15 – December 15, 2003
  • “Art Around Town”, Petaluma Arts Council, Petaluma, CA, Nov 22 – Jan 2003
  • SoundScape Gallery, Santa Rosa, CA, Oct 10 – Nov 15, 2003, “10th Annual Erotica Show”

2002

  • “Day of the Dead”, Petaluma Arts Council, Oct 15 – November 20, 2002
  • “The Figure”, Zebulon’s Lounge, Petaluma, CA, July 6 – August 30, 2002
  • “Art & Garden Festival”, Petaluma, April 2002
  • “Fantasy”, Petaluma Arts Council, March 3 – April 5, 2002

Articles/Reviews
Articles and reviews:

  • Press for Man as Object: Reversing the Gaze. http://manasobject.weebly.com/press.html
  • “A South Bay group of artists takes “CONTROL” and marks a milestone”, by Heather Zimmerman, Rose Garden Resident. 8/27/09
  • “Painting and Politics, Bold exhibit on war, politics get people talking”, by Rebecca Wallace, Palo Alto Weekly, 11/16/07
  • “Stage for politics, passion”, by Patty Fisher, Mercury News, 11/5/07
  • “Art Exhibit Takes a Novel Approach”, by Silicon Valley Business Journal, 10/26/07
  • “Artistic Creations at Zebbie’s”, by Chip McAuley, Argus-Courier, 7/30/03

Education
Education:

  • BFA, Fine Arts, University of Georgia, 1988
  • BA, Art History, University of Georgia, 1988
  • MA (pending), Arts Administration, New York University

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