We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kari Roslund a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kari, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In 2020, I was awarded a NYFA/NYSCA Decentralization Grant for a project entitled, Community Garden: discovering the roots and Resources within Cattaraugus County, New York. Having recently relocated to this rural region, my plan was to discover the people and hidden resources through a community-involved project. My goal was to invite individuals and clubs to contribute the raw materials from their farms and gardens. Using the community-gathered wools and natural dyeing plants, I would create a series of felted Local Landscapes. However, With the outbreak of the Pandemic and the stay-at-home orders declared in March 2020, the focus shifted from that of community involvement to one of outdoor exploration and personal discovery.

Kari, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I discovered my love for fiber arts while raising a small herd of sheep in rural Pennsylvania. This allowed me to combine my formal art training with an exciting new medium. I received my BA in Studio Art with a teaching certification from Lycoming College; yet, credit my education in fiber to other wool growers and fiber enthusiasts I have met as I moved throughout Pennsylvania and New York. In 2020 and 2021, I was awarded the Individual Artist Decentralization Grant and the Community Education Art Grant from the New York State Council for the Arts and New York Foundation for the Arts for three projects that focused on examining regions and communities through sourcing materials from a specific area. I have participated in exhibitions both nationally and internationally, exhibiting a level of mastery in natural dyeing, felting, surface design, and natural fiber construction. Most notably, I was selected to participate in the Gold Standard of Textile Art at the Westbeth Gallery in New York City and the Korean Fiber Art Forum at the Suwon Museum of Art in Suwon, South Korea. I am drawn to capturing natural wonders and enjoy the process of layering a variety of materials such as wool, silk, wire, wood, and paper to capture places or moments. As I introduce the viewer to a tactilely enticing juxtaposition of various textures, I invite the viewer to examine subtle yet delicate details found only when we stop and ponder. With sourcing and legacy as the foundations of my creative process, I often incorporate drawing attention back to people, places, and raw materials. In sharing my work, I tell the story of how each body of work celebrates the various fiber traditions, communities, and rural landscapes.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After getting connected with a thriving art community, I found out we were moving to a rural area in another state. Knowing opportunities exist in various places, I allowed the new region to influence and inspire my creative process. This has happened twice. Once, when we moved from the Pittsburgh area to Western NY. Up to that point, I had never considered applying for grants and community projects but, for the two and a half years that we lived in New York, I was awarded three grants. A second time, when I moved from Western NY to South Central Pennsylvania, where I was given the opportunity to explore new fiber techniques and inspire locals through teaching.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect is sharing the journey. From local growers where I resource my materials to students looking to expand their creative skills, I love to share my process, inspiration, and skills.

Contact Info:

• Website: kariroslund.com
• Instagram: kariroslundstudios
• Facebook: Roslund Studios
• Linkedin: Kari Roslund