Karin Knudsen is the Guild Coordinator at WGM. Her role at WGM includes: Fiber Source Store, In-kind Donations, Guild Membership, Guild Services and Activities. Karin has extensive experience working with stakeholders, managing projects and writing content for non-profits. Her background is in arts administration as both an artist and a facilitator, and retail management. Her expertise is writing and communication with a focus on crafting engaging, clear content and creating teaching materials. Karin holds a Master’s Degree in Anthropology. She is a practicing fiber artist, specializing in katazome, a Japanese surface design technique which she teaches, and is also a weaver and indigo-dyer.

Karin answers some of our questions for this spotlight!

Do you have any hobbies? What do you do outside of your work at WGM?
Current Projects: Stenciled self-portraits in katazome (Japanese stencil-paste resist). A longish documentary-like poem pulling from multiple sources centered around pedestrian traffic deaths. A mokume shibori linen shroud dyed with indigo. Sami-inspired pick-up band woven bookmarks. A painted silk chogakbo bojagi (Korean patchwork wrapping cloth). Inspirations: Lucinda Williams. Sashiko. Paper cutting. Karl Anthony Towns. The Book of the Dead by Muriel Rukeyser. Boro textiles. Chunghie Lee. Bruno Mars.

What are three things still left on your bucket list?
When I was in my 20s, I had an intense and scary health experience and nearly didn’t see my 30s. I decided then to go ahead and do the things I had been waiting to do (start over in a new city, freelance as an artist, run a marathon, practice shibori in Japan, work at an art museum, take classes in Japanese). But there’s always so much more I feel I could be doing and learning. Get an MFA or Ph.D. Complete an ultra. Find a way to combine my writings and textile art. Throw a teapot and set of cups. Try tapestry weaving. Publish a book of poetry.

How do you recharge?
On my days away from WGM, I spend time with my boyfriend, who’s a musician and works at an arts non-profit. I draw and cut katazome stencils. I write poetry and take classes at the Loft. I go for long, very slow runs.

What characteristic do you most admire in others?
The ability to network and present themselves in the best light! My Montanan upbringing really drilled into me two things: 1. Don’t talk about yourself; and, 2. If you are forced to talk about yourself, don’t ever say anything–no matter how true–that could come across as bragging. It’s pretty hard to meet new people if you can never comfortably tell them any of your accomplishments, no matter how small.