Welcome to an archive of the life and work of Karen McCreary
Karen McCreary was an artist with a professional background in jewelry manufacturing. She received her BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing from California State University, Long Beach and exhibited her sculpture and art-to-wear extensively.
A Southern California native, Karen was inspired by its light and landscape.
Experimentation with various materials and techniques attracted her to plastics because of their transparency, colors, and great versatility. Her work combined sheet acrylic, resins, and metals, to produce inventive, handcrafted jewelry that is durable, light weight, and fun to wear.
Her work was exhibited in galleries in the United States and Europe and she exhibited her work directly to the public through the American Craft Council Shows, the Smithsonian Craft Show, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show. Interviews and reviews of Karen’s work have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines including, Ornament, Metalsmith, the Press-Telegram, and images of her pieces have been included in a number of Lark Books 500 series publications. She also was commissioned for one-of-a-kind and limited production pieces for the television and motion picture industries.
Born: Feburary 15, 1953, Los Angeles CA
Died: September 24, 2020, Los Angeles CA
(Bio copy adapted from ARTS COUNCIL for LONG BEACH ARTIST REGISTRY)
SHARING KAREN’S LEGACY
Story of the archive
From early October of 2020 to March of 2021, I spent most of my free time visiting Karen’s studio inspecting, sorting, and photographing her impressive collection of art and craft and other things that she had collected for the last fifty years.
I patiently read hundreds of handwritten notes, scanned in countless photographs and (upwards of a thousand) 35 mm slides. There were plastic containers full of dried plants and flowers, bones and feathers, minerals, and gemstones. There was a collection of almost 300 pairs of shoes, mostly in their original boxes. Not to mention, the hundreds of ceramic pieces, paintings, drawings, glassware, and fashion accessories. I even found a notebook containing descriptions of her dreams – all dated and titled.
It’s fair to say, that she kept everything that she found interesting to her.
I took offence when a common friend called her hoarder. To me, she was a collector of beautiful objects. Yes, she kept her concert tickets, exhibition announcements – even postcards, but she wasn’t hoarding, she was documenting her life and I’m so glad she did.
Almost everything she left behind was dated, annotated, numbered, packed, and kept in perfect condition. Karen was a great archivist.
One could say, Karen started this archive 50 years ago… we just digitized it and applied the finishing touches.
What you see in the archive is only a portion of what she left behind. There will be more material added to the site in the future.
I’m honored to have known Karen for as long as I did; she was a wonderful human being and a great artist. She lived life on her own terms and departed with dignity and grace. She shared her last year and a half of life with me and for that, I’m forever grateful.
I need to acknowledge a few friends which without their contribution this project would have never been possible. Michael Miller, Karen’s brother, who gave me his support one hundred percent – he trusted and valued my judgment.
Sheriann Ki Sun Burnham who designed the site. I could not thank her enough, and I sincerely believe no one else could have done this project better than Sheriann.
Teri Brudnak who assisted in identifying some of her early works.
Victoria Bryan who helped me with cataloging her fashion and shoe and collection.
Kamran Assadi June 2022
Karen’s family established the
Karen McCreary Contemporary Craft Endowment
at CSULB to fulfill one of Karen’s wishes to express her appreciation for innovation in contemporary crafts.
Learn more on how to contribute to the fund by clicking here
Friends and Colleagues Remember Karen
How to explore the archive
This archive includes four primary sections:
LIFE TIMELINE: Explore Karen’s life as a graphical timeline.
AS ARTIST: Explore Karen’s art as a graphical timeline. Timeline items link to Albums and Galleries of work throughout her life.
AS COLLECTOR: Explore Karen’s collections of art and personal items.
KAREN’S ESTATE: Explore the collection of items in Karen’s estate.
Most items on this website are searchable via the Search box in the header. Primary search term is by year, then item type (i.e. bracelet, ring, etc.). Be aware the search is all inclusive and will return any item with the term in its content, title, keyword, etc.
We welcome comments and questions. Feel free to Contact us here:
Website credits: Design & Development by Studio Ki Sun.