​Education
No formal art education
M.S.W., 1996, University of Maryland School of Social Work
B. A., 1994, Boston University
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Group Exhibitions
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2025, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2024, Art Comes Alive 2024, ADC Fine Art, Cincinnati, OH
2024 North Shore Art League's 100th Annual Members Art Show, Winnetka, IL
2024 Chicago Alliance of Visual Arts (CAVA) Members Show, North Shore Art League, Winnetka, IL (*Awarded Honorable Mention for my painting, "If Only")
2024, Pulp: A Paper Exhibition, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2024, On Fire, The Gallery, Lake Forest, IL
2024, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2023, Perfect Match, Laughlin Gallery
2023, The Artist’s Voice: Art Makers North Group Show, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
2023, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2022, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2022, Abstraction, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL (Juried by Cleveland Dean)
2022, The 25 Group Show, Laughlin Gallery, Highland Park, IL
2021/2022, The Thin Line, The Art Center Highland Park, IL
2021, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2021, My Voice Matters, Art Makers North Group Show, A.I.R. Gallery, Glencoe, IL
2021, Interconnectivity, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2020, January Group Art Show, Jones Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2020, Unique Visions: ArtMakers North Group Show, A.I.R. Gallery, Glencoe, IL
2020, Black & White Group Show, A.I.R. Gallery, Glencoe, IL
2020, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2020, 1st Miami Contemporary Small Format Art Exhibition, Cowry Art Studio, Miami, FL
2019, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL (*1st Place, 2nd year in a row)
2019, Small Works Juried Exhibit, Lemonade Stand Gallery, Key West, FL
2019, Double Trouble, Ashton Gallery Art on 30th, San Diego, CA
2018, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL (*1st Place)
2018, Nude Nite Art Show, Tampa, FL
2018, Texas National 2018, SFA Galleries, Nacogdoches, TX (curator: Jed Perl)
2017, Orange Is the New Black, Ashton Gallery Art on 30th, San Diego, CA
2017, Beneath the Surface (Encaustic), The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2016, 5 x 7 Art Exhibition & Art Splurge, Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, CA
2016, East on Central Publication Party Exhibit, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2015, Recent Works: 35th Annual Juried Show, Robert T. Wright Community Gallery of Art, Grayslake, IL
2014, Encaustic in Nature, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2014, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL *2nd Place
2012, In View: Annual Member & Faculty Show, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2011, Art in View, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2011, Explorations: New Works by New Artists, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2011, Starbucks Artist of the Month, Glencoe, IL
2010, The 12th Annual Chicago Art Open, Chicago, IL
2009/2010, 12x12, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
Solo Shows
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2021, Karen Ross, It’s Not That Serious, A.I.R. Gallery, Glencoe, IL (8/7/21-8/29/21)
2020, Karen Ross Encaustic Paintings, A.I.R. Gallery, Glencoe, IL (10/10/20-11/7/20)
Publications
December 2024, Modern Luxury Chicago , My painting, Words to Live By, is featured in a designer story about Suzanne Falk, page 9 (link)​
March 25-26, 2023, The North Shore Weekend
March 2023, Sheridan Road magazine feature
November 2022, Jewish Chicago The JUF Magazine, “Finding Your Medium Is Sort of Like Falling in Love,” page 50
July 2022, Deerfield Neighbors Magazine, front cover and feature story
August 2021, The Record North Shore, See Karen Ross’ artwork at AIR throughout the month
April 2021 JUF News, "Creating Calm Through Home Design", page 39
2015-2016 East on Central featured my painting, Simply Put
Artist Talks
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May 1, 2024, Art Encounter Expanding Visions Programming Guest Host, In Studio Visit and Talk with Karen Ross Expanding Visions — Art Encounter
May 2, 2023, Shit Talking Shrinks Podcast: Discover the Amazing Benefits of Art Therapy:
Enhance Your Wellbeing Today
March 18, 2021, Art Encounter Night Visions Program, Studio Visit and Talk with Karen Ross
January 19, 2020, A.I.R. Gallery: Meet the Artist Karen Ross
Charity/Volunteer Work
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2024, Served on Creative Committee for Art Impact Project and helped team create and facilitate Annual Benefit of Art Event to help fundraise for non-profit art programming
2023, Served on Creative Committee for Art Impact Project and helped team create and facilitate Annual Benefit of Art Event to help fundraise for non-profit art programming
December 2022, Volunteered at Lake Forest High School by doing a mask project for Art Impact Project to bring awareness to mental health among adolescents.
September 2022, Donated a hand painted Adirondack Chair for Designs 4 Dignity to be auctioned at fundraising event
July 2022, Volunteered for Art Impact to provide support via art project at The Art Center of Highland Park
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Professional Affiliations
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Deerpath Art League, Member
Art Makers North, Member
North Shore Art League, Member
Chicago Alliance of Visual Arts, Member
Art Encounter, Member​
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