Kathleen O’Connell
American, b. 1980; MFA 2006
Lives and works in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Letterpress with accordion binding
Kathleen O’Connell, Bakersville, North Carolina
Edition of 30
The artist was inspired “by the chaotic traffic patterns of Lima, Peru, and the decorative driveways found throughout the city.”
A native of Plattsburgh, New York, Kathleen O’Connell began taking college-level printmaking classes with UW alumna Diane Fine while still in high school. O’Connell opted to continue her education at SUNY Plattsburgh with her mentor Fine, ultimately receiving a BFA in 2002. In 2005, O’Connell received her MA in graphics from UW-Madison, followed by her MFA in 2006. At the UW, she took courses with Jim Escalante, Fran Meyers, and Tracy Honn, whom she counts as an influence. She also worked as an artist with Honn at the Silver Buckle Press and years later helped move the press from the UW to the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. After graduation, O’Connell became an assistant printer to Warrington Colescott and held a number of adjunct teaching positions in book arts and printmaking, including at the UW. In 2009 she moved to Peru, where she worked as a graphic designer and in a printmaking residency at Taller 72. Her travels abroad have influenced her own work and have led to collaborations with international artists. She has taught book arts and letterpress printing since 2012 at Middle Tennessee State University, where she is an Associate Professor. She is also vice president for programming and a member of the board of directors for the College Book Art Association.
