EXHIBIT

Convergence: Light, Weather, & Earth

25th Anniverary Exhibit

Betsy Jacaruso Gallery

Kate Katomski — Interwoven

On view May 17 - June 21, 2025

Kate Katomski

Artist Statement

INTERWOVEN 

For over a decade, my artistic practice has been deeply influenced by abandoned industrial landscapes. My primary focus has been on stone quarries, including marble and granite, as well as New England textile mills. Through visiting these sites and conducting historical research, I uncover the stories embedded within their remnants, engaging in a form of archaeological exploration. 

My initial step involves “mapping” the selected site with photographs and sketches. Subsequently, in the studio, I develop the project's theme through printmaking and object-making. Building upon my observations of patterns in stone and textiles led to the creation of a new series of silkscreen prints and watercolors, which I then deconstructed and interwove. Some are woven into geometric shapes, while others depict architectural forms. 

A recurring element in most works featured in this exhibition is the use of the circle, which signifies balance, harmony, and continuity. I’ve illustrated this concept by using images that represent a dome, the universe, the moon, and even the cosmos. 

These new prints explore the interplay of industrial landscapes, focusing on monuments constructed from the granite of Maine quarries. The most notable is the iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. I interwove prints made from ancestral textile patterns with those of the laborers and monuments shaped by this landscape. 

My artwork aims to weave a narrative that honors the past by blending the contributions of laborers from all genders in these communities. Through these prints, I seek to question the traditions that shaped industrial labor during a time when "working with the hand" was prevalent. I am intrigued by how these wasteful, abandoned landscapes reveal a chronicle and inform our contemporary technological culture. 

My art endeavors to create a visual dialogue that captures the tension and harmony between these elements, ensuring this story is not lost. 

About

 Kate Katomski is a multi-media artist and educator whose studio practice encompasses research, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, video, and installation. She earned a BFA in Ceramics with a minor in Textiles from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA in 1985. She later received an MFA in Studio Art from the Maine College of Art, Portland, ME in 2002. After a 30-year career as an artist and educator in New York, NY, she now resides in Portland, ME. She maintains a private studio at The Bakery Studios and has been a member of Peregrine Press since 2018. 

Katomski has exhibited her work throughout the United States, including at the Knoxville Museum of Art and East Tennessee Museum of History in Knoxville, TN; The Kitchen Art Gallery and The International Center in New York, NY; Betsy Jacaruso Studio & Gallery in Rhinebeck, NY; Cove Street Arts in Portland, ME; Kimball Street Studio and USM Gallery in Lewiston-Auburn, ME; Carving Studio and Sculpture Center Gallery in West Rutland, VT; Shelburne Farm and Burlington City Arts in VT; A.I.R. Gallery II and Pelham Art Center in New York, NY. In addition, she has participated in public art projects, notably being one of five artists chosen by landscape designer Rene Soulard for The Ron K. Bills Memorial Fountain project in Seattle, WA. Her work is included in both public and private collections. 

She teaches at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, ME. She has been a member of the Art Faculty at Maine College of Art in Continuing Studies; The New School for Social Research in New York, NY; Sculpture Center in New York, NY; and Columbia Preparatory School in New York, NY. Katomski has conducted workshops throughout the US and Canada. She has attended national and international residencies and has received several grants. 

Katomski is a member of the Arts Advisory Council at The Carving Studio and Sculpture Center in West Rutland, VT. She served as Co-President of Peregrine Press from 2021 to 2023 in Portland, ME, and as a Board Member of Speedwell Contemporary in Portland, ME, from 2023 to 2025. She was a member of Pickwick Independent Press and served on the Alumni Council of Maine College of Art. 

Artist Talk & Closing Reception
June 21, 4-6pm