Life & Work with Kate Schroeder of Waldo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Schroeder. 

Hi Kate, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From a very young age, I incorporated the practice of art-making into my every day and I transitioned this practice into a profession. I earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Sculpture and Ceramics from the University of Central Missouri and a Masters of Fine Arts also emphasizing Sculpture and Ceramics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I live in Kansas City, MO, and have been a full-time professional artist since 2018. I make my living selling artwork on my website www.kateschroederceramics.com and market it on my Instagram account @kate.schroeder.ceramics. My work is in collections around the globe. In fact, it can be found on all 7 continents (Yes even Antarctica)! 

I recently completed a long-term career residency at Belger Crane Yard Studios but left to fully focus on my artwork. Before transitioning to a full-time artist, I spent nearly a decade as an art educator. I have worked for Kansas City Kansas Community College, The Kansas City Art Institute, and The University of Central Missouri. 

I also spent several years dedicated to the nonprofit sector. During this time, I lived in Tanzania for a summer, where I started a small ceramics program for Walk In Love International. I also managed EPIC Clay Studio, a 501-C3 ceramics studio in Strawberry Hill, and Accessible Arts, a Not-For-Profit arts organization, which specialized in teaching art to people with disabilities. It was through Accessible Arts that I taught art at the Kansas State School for the Blind. During this time, I learned to read and write in braille. From this experience, I started a porcelain braille jewelry company. I wholesale this work to the National Braille Press as well as many shops around the country. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
A career in the arts is never a smooth road. It takes thousands of hours and dedication to develop your work. It also comes with a lot of rejection on the road to building an audience for your work. All this happens while you suffer from the inability to make work that is of a quality you are truly proud of. 

My first major obstacle was my choice to leave Missouri and move to Alaska for Grad School. This move was extraordinarily lonely and I lived well below the poverty line during this period of my life. Not to mention, Alaska is just a challenging place to live in general. It was there I felt temperatures as low as -67 degrees F, found myself face to face with a moose, and lived alone in a cabin in the woods 30 minutes outside of town. 

Another major obstacle that I still face is the fact that I am a person who lives in chronic pain. I have a spine injury and severe arthritis that impacts my life on a daily basis. Sometimes it is challenging to get out of bed in the morning or into the studio at all during the day. This injury is one reason that I choose to make small-scale work. When I was younger, I made significantly larger works, but as time goes on, my body has physically limited the scale of the work that I am able to produce. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make semi-functional ceramic objects with illustrative and small-scale elements. My work is inspired by the emotional impact of collecting objects; why we collect them, and the significance of the ones we choose. The overarching themes in my work are whimsy and delight. The work honors functional objects while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of their functionality. It also celebrates the balance of a domestic home and the integral use of nature within these spaces. I am most known for my Shelfie Series, miniature porcelain plants, and my Mini Malm Burners. 

I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to straddle the line between fine art and craft. I love the fact that I can make a cup, and no one will ever use it to drink from. It absolutely delights me that an object with such a clear-cut definition can be pushed to a place where it could be used, but many of my collectors would never dare to. 

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am a very open book on my social media. I do what I can to share my personal life as well as my artwork because I am my work and my work is me. When a person collects artwork, they are not buying a factory-made thing. They are buying a piece of the artist. They are investing in that human as well as the piece. I will say though, I don’t often bring up my chronic pain on my social media. As I have stated before, my work is meant to bring joy to others and there isn’t much joy expressing what it is like to live in a body that is broken. This is why I highlight the parts of me and my body that bring so much joy to myself and others. After all, without my body, I wouldn’t be able to produce the work that I do! 

Pricing:

• Mini Malm Burner $150
• Cups and Mugs $135-$500
• Lamps $250-$1000

Contact Info:

• Email: kateschroederceramics@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.kateschroederceramics.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate.schroeder.ceramics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kate.schroeder.ceramics

Image Credits:
Kate Schroeder