Karen Swenholt

Driftwood, terracotta, 4″x11″x10″.

Swan Boy, terracotta, 7″x5″x9.5″.

Lost in the Drug Wars, terracotta, 16″x10″x14.5″.


Karen Swenholt is a figurative sculptor who lives and works in Northern Virginia. After attending MICA and California College of the Arts, she continued studies at New York City’s New York Studio School and the Art League in Virginia. The West Coast’s Bay Area Figurative Movement combined with the emotional power of abstract expressionism from her East Coast origins form the foundation of Swenholt’s work. The rough painterly surfaces of her sculptures contrast with their grace, conveying emotion and movement. Swenholt is presently the artist in residence at Convergence in Alexandria, Virginia. Her work can be found in public and private collections including Cairn University in Philadelphia, Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and churches across the U.S. and abroad.

Website: www.karenswenholt.com and www.facebook.com/karenswenholtart