Karen Dolan

MixAbilities Facilitator

Karen Dolan is an artist, teacher, and arts advocate. Karen’s interest in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and design began as an adolescent and led to her decision to study art beyond high school with the dream of becoming an artist. In 1972 Karen began her fine art training at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario, followed by York University, in Toronto, Ontario. In 1975 Karen returned to study in Kingston and in 1978 graduated from Queen’s University in the Bachelor of Fine Art program. Soon after graduation, Karen decided to be a teacher in the arts, a profession that held the promise of inner and professional fulfillment, and by sharing her passion for art, would keep her in touch with her creativity. Karen found work in Kingston as a secondary school art, photography, and physical education teacher, and believes that healthy living benefits the physical, as well as the creative self. As a mother to Ryan, Brianna and Mariah Karen balanced her role as a parent and career as a teacher with her various artistic and personal fitness pursuits. Karen had been a long time enthusiast of traditional black and white film photography but in 2005 discovered the digital darkroom. Karen embraced the digital world by participating in many digital photography workshops and incorporated the digital workshop format into her classroom photography curriculum. After retiring from teaching in June 2010 Karen worked for the Kingston Arts Council as Executive Director from 2011 to 2015, serving the Kingston arts community by supporting and promoting the creation and presentation of all artistic expression.