Kara Knutson (b. 1989) is an American visual fine artist. Her work explores what lingers after a dream, the figures we carry but never speak of, and ghosts of the sublime that haunt our memories. With roots in classical oil painting from a contemporary lens, she builds atmospheric, elegaic worlds relying on memories of subjects both real and dreamed. She paints in quiet rebellion against the sterility of modern trends, reviving beauty as a language of memory and presence. She is currently immersed in her newest body of work, What Finds Us in the Dark.
Kara lives and works in Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Artist CV
M.S. in Biomedical Microbiology, University of Florida, 2022
B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 2012
Independent study in oil painting and drawing 2012-Present
EXHIBITIONS
The Art of Water IX, Group Exhibition, James May Gallery, Milwaukee, WI (May 2-June 1, 2025)
REPRESENTATION
Boerner Botanical Gardens, Milwaukee, WI (2024- Present)
SELECTED WORKS AVAILABLE
Please email karaknutsonart@gmail.com
TEACHING and RELATED EXPERIENCE
Workshop instructor Lyon Road Art Academy (Waunakee, WI), 2025
Former professor of medical laboratory science- Madison Area Technical College
Independent educator in art, available for private or group art lessons