The daily Astorian., January 21, 2021, Page 5, Image 5

Continued from Page 4
Karbo functions as an artist. She possesses
an affinity for collaborating with others in
order to pool talents, ideas and resources
into something greater and more meaning-
ful than a person could accomplish on their
own.
“(I find value in) having that different
energy, that different set of hands, that dif-
ferent take on it,” Karbo said. “That’s the
kind of work that really feeds me.”
Her love for working with others has
been a cornerstone of many of the projects
she’s completed in the past, whether it be
organizing a large, school-wide arts event
or developing a book of cooking recipes
and poems with a dear friend.
Education through the arts
Karbo dabbles in a variety of arts and
crafts including basket-weaving, tin smith-
ing, stenciling, paper casting, quilting,
printmaking, metal working and puppet
making.
“I’m compelled to work in mediums that
are extraordinarily time-consuming and
labor-intensive, and you could never make
a living with,” she said. “I’ve been always
interested in those things that are tactile,
textured, functional, beautiful and that have
real integrity.”
Karbo’s natural curiosity and desire to
work with her hands led her to pursue edu-
cation and development through several
sources. She studied colonial crafts at the
Montclair Historical Society in Montclair,
New Jersey; John Campbell Folk School;
Mendocino Art Center; Marylhurst Univer-
sity; the Oregon College of Art and Craft;
and University of California, Los Angeles.
Karbo has no intention of slowing down
her pursuit of new knowledge, skills and
techniques.
However, Karbo considers teaching
others what she is learning “ really is the
magic for me,” she said. She refers to her-
self as a teaching artist and views art as one
of the most powerful conduits for robust
education.
With art, she said, “Whatever kind of
learner you are, you’ll find a way in. You’ll
be captivated in some way.”
Years ago, with the help of Portland art-
ist Sarah Ferguson, she developed a Día de
los Libros program to take around to var-
ious libraries in the metro area. The show
involved music and bilingual storytelling.
Karbo continued working in libraries in a
similar way for another 20 years.
In the past, she also volunteered to teach
art in various classrooms at Buckman Ele-
mentary School, which her son attended.
One of the things she is most proud of was
transforming the school’s art sale into an
event that included performances from the
children and a number of activities.
“I just felt I was hosting the best party in
the world,” Karbo said.
Art on the coast
Upon moving to Oregon in the 1990s,
Karbo and her husband, Robert Felder,
started visiting Gearhart during the off-sea-
son. About seven years ago, they bought a
house in the community and Karbo became
a member of Trail’s End Art Association.
Over the next year, with her husband
retiring, Karbo will spend more time on the
coast — as well as traveling and continuing
to learn. She views the support of her hus-
band as instrumental in enabling her to be
involved in the arts and impact her commu-
nity through that means.
Although Karbo will miss the “cul-
tural flyway” of Portland, she looks for-
ward to her increased capacity to contrib-
ute to Trail’s End and the community at
large through public events, fundraisers and
workshops.
“In smaller places, you can create com-
munity and connect and make a differ-
ence,” she said.
Her vision involves working with other
members of Trail’s End to aid the organiza-
tion in continuing to become more acces-
sible for people of different ages and abil-
ities. She recently attended a webinar held
by Creative Growth Art Center, a nonprofit
in Oakland, California, that serves artists
with disabilities by providing a professional
TOP: A set of baskets made by Kathy Karbo. ABOVE: A book, created by Karbo.
studio environment for artistic develop-
ment, gallery exhibition and representation.
Karbo shared the information she garnered
from the webinar with other members at
Trail’s End. She hopes to factor her learn-
ings into the organization’s vision for the
future.
“We need to make sure our organiza-
tion is inclusive and inviting,” she said,
adding it’s not necessary for the organiza-
tion to reinvent its identity. “We just need
to extend our reach and our invitation and
make it possible for all people to develop to
artistic sensibility.”
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021 // 5