Biography

Kathryn Maxwell (b. 1959, Centralia, IL) creates playful abstract collages that evoke a wonder for nature that subtly acknowledge humanity’s environmental impact. 


Maxwell received an MFA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a BA from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She has participated in exhibitions at the Detroit Institute of Art; Denver Art Museum; Dundee (Scotland) Contemporary Arts; China Academy of Fine Art, Hangzhao; International Print Center, New York; and Melanee Cooper Gallery, Chicago, among many others. 


Deeply influenced by her travels, Maxwell has participated in artist residencies in China, Belgium, Greece, Scotland, and the U.S., allowing her to merge her passions for travel and art.


Originally from Illinois, she lived in the Midwest and Alabama before moving to Tempe, Arizona, in 1988. She is Professor Emerita in the School of Art, Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts, Arizona State University and now maintains a full-time artist practice in Tempe.