Kate Rivers is a professional artist living and working in Santa Fe New Mexico. She was born in Youngstown, Ohio graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design and earned an MFA in painting and printmaking at The University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. Her work is in numerous private collections throughout the United States.

“I am a mixed media painter that incorporates found materials. Much of my work uses books that are torn cut and glued and then frequently hand or machine stitched.

I am fascinated by text, and pattern, while exploring the possibilities of content and meaning. In addition my work addresses the need to collect and store memorabilia that represent moments in our lives. This material along with books is frequently part of my work. I search for materials in garage or estate sales, and second hand stores. I gather reuse and reinfuse with new content.

The materials that I am drawn to are all types of old maps, old typed or had written letters and canceled postage stamps and clothing tags. Clothing tags are especially seductive because they are frequently well designed and suggest issues of class and the compulsion to collect. I glue, stitch these materials together frequently working back into the surface with paint stitching and at times sanding the surface.

My newest body of work has a heavier influence of painting a drawing back into the work. In addition I have moved into 3D using aluminum containers, license plates and other metals that I cut and rivet onto wood supports and am now experimenting with ceramic sculpture”