Opening Reception
Friday, June 1st | 6-8pm
Mixed-media artist Karen Freidt joins us from Hampton Roads, VA.
With a mother who is also a local artist and a father who is an engineer, Karen likes to experiment with all types of media, create regularly and question norms.
Art finds a place in all dimensions of Karen’s life. She has found ways to apply her passion through creating fine art, authoring a book, speaking on creativity and innovation globally, creating new NASA innovative courses and programs while showing and selling her work in numerous galleries in Virginia and North Carolina. Freidt says “I spend every night creating art. It is both a stress reliever and a way to unconsciously solve problems while I’m in a sort of meditative state creating.”
She received a BFA from Longwood University, a Design Thinking Specialization Certificate from UVA, and attended NYC’s School of Visual Arts !MPACT Residency and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her passion for bringing the arts into non-traditional fields has lead her to form collaborations between NASA and the more than 40 local businesses and the following universities: NYC Parson’s School of Design, Florida State University, William and Mary University, and Old Dominion University. Karen and her husband, Wade Mickley, were also featured in the PBS “The Scene” Series.
Karen works to inspire others to create whether it be a painting or an autonomous vehicle but she says “If I get a smile or a laugh from someone looking at my fine art that’s enough to keep me motivated.”
