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

Kristin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

As a young child, I love to draw and had a drawing published in a newspaper for the first time as a five year old. I wanted to be am artist always, but understood that I would have to hold a day job from high school on. Because I wanted an interesting day job, I chose one in Life Science Research and worked at NASA Ames Research Center as a Research Associate for six years before I realized that one’s day job should not take too much time and thought away from art. I had come to the crossroads and it was a tough decision to give up research, but there was really no question that it would be the thing I chose to let go. There was a period of adjustment as I tried having a custom furniture business. I designed and made furniture and painted murals for six more years. But art is what fills my soul; gives purpose and fulfillment, so once again I left something I loved for what I love most.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a local artist who grew up in Saratoga and moved to the redwoods above Los Gatos after graduate school at San Jose State University. I received a Master’s degree from San Jose State where I studied Printmaking after having earned a BFA in Painting from University of Oregon. I also studied in Paris for a year: at the Universite de Paris, Paris IV (Sorbonne) and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and then spent a half year visiting the museums of Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden in the years immediately following graduation. I am also a college Art Instructor who teaches Drawing, Sculpture, Life Drawing and Digital Art.

I am a Sculptor and Printmaker who focuses on the human condition in figure sculptures focused on the inner experience of men and women from diverse cultures. More recently, my work has dealt with the global refugee crisis and with the concept of home in bronze and multimedia sculptures.

The bronze sculptures represent the kinds of homes that are being lost in the violent conflicts around the world, the small boats in which people risk their lives to take across oceans, and some of the historic architecture that is also being lost to all of humanity. The state of being homeless, stateless and fleeing violent conflict has now affected more than 100 million people who have been displaced worldwide, more than at any time in history since WWII.

In August 2020, lightening strike fires began to destroy homes in the Santa Cruz redwoods. During the three years from 2021-2024, I created a town of small-scale wood multimedia buildings; houses and community buildings called San Ardo Refuge from basswood, metal, fabric and plastic with lights and sound emanating from each structure; slide guitar music, roadside pool hall sounds, busy cafe sounds, theater music and even midnight diner music.

The town represents relocation, resilience and rebuilding. The buildings are all my own designs, although two are based loosely on buildings I saw in San Ardo, an actual almost ghost town off highway 101. There is a library, a café, a “Midnight Diner”, a pool hall, a general store, a clinic, a theater and motorcycle repair shop in addition to the houses. Warm lights illuminate the buildings and blues music, talking, and café sounds can be heard emanating from within the buildings. They are especially captivating at night when the warm lights are an invitation to peer inside like a voyeur. The furniture and other elements are hand made and the buildings contain paintings of my own that have been miniaturized.
My most recent sculptures are small shrines made of basswood, pine and metal. They are meant as sanctuaries for the spirit in a difficult time; a time of war and a time of loss for many of us. These sculptures , based on Shinto Shrines, will be included in a group exhibition titled Glimmers at the Euphrat Museum from 10/22/24-12/12/24 with a public reception of November 2 from 1:00-3:00.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to make people feel something; to find solace maybe, or a sense that others share some of the same struggles and experiences. For me the most valuable aspect of being an artist is the connection with others that art can create; the bridge to others. Sometimes art is our best means of communication and of dealing with the harsh realities of life.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The sculptures that I have made over the past twenty years have helped me to deal with the realities of the loss of two people I was closest to in early life, and later with raising three children on my own after a very early divorce and without financial support. I was very fortunate to have an audience for my bronze sculptures who made regular purchases, and because I had a Masters Degree, I was able to find teaching positions and survive in one of the most expensive areas in the country.

I have reinvented my career several times; from life science research, to video game art, to curating, then teaching, but the core is always art. Video game art led me to 3D modeling, which led to sculpture, which became my passion. Teaching Digital Art returns me to my drawing and painting roots which are important to maintain.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.KristinLindseth.com
• Instagram: Kristin Lindseth-Rivera
• Facebook: Kristin Lindseth-Rivera

Image Credits

Flyer for Olive Hyde Art Center Solo show designed by Sana Chiang. Photo of artist at work by George Rivera. All other photos by the artist.