Kristin Tollefson

I am an artist and educator investigating the physical, social and psychological relationships between humans and environment.

I have an MFA in Metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BA in Art History and Sociology/Anthropology from Carleton College. I have received awards from the American-Scandinavian and Fulbright Foundations and Americans for the Arts, and residencies including Jentel (WY), Listagil í Akureyri (Iceland), and La Wayaka Current: Atacama Desert (Chile).

I make jewelry, drawings, studio sculpture, site integrated and playable works at parks and schools, freestanding sculptures for civic agencies and publicly accessible interior work for private clients. I have developed and taught educational programs that reveal connections between nature and culture while deepening learning about critical thinking, visual literacy, and public art. In addition, I have designed, illustrated and authored integrated site master plans.

Tactile and sensory, my work responds to site considerations of light, weather, the grown environment and human interaction. My training as a craftsperson includes materials such as metal, resin, concrete, and wood and other sustainable, ecological and reclaimed materials.

I live on Bainbridge Island in Washington, where I also work as Director of Education and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advancement for the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.