About the Artist

Kari Wagner is an accomplished painter based in the Twin Cities. Her artwork has been featured in several venues, including:

• Courage Cards & Gifts Catalog in 1999 and 2006
• Rise, Inc. holiday cards in 2004 and 2005
• Annual Sister Kenney Institute Art Show
• Special art exhibit for artists with disabilities sponsored by The Minneapolis Foundation in 2005
• Several local churches
• Hennepin County Government Center in 2006 and 2009

Kari’s artwork has also been featured on many family greeting cards and specially designed wedding invitations for family members and close friends.

All of these honors would be an amazing accomplishment for any artist, but, for Kari, they are especially meaningful.

Kari was born with cerebral palsy, a physical disability caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. As a result, Kari can’t hold a paint brush with her hands. Instead, she uses a special piece of adaptive equipment that fits on her head and holds the paint brush for her. Thus her head movements dictate her brushstrokes.

Kari expressed an interest in art at a young age… she would color for hours! Later, Kari worked with an art therapist at Courage Center to explore different mediums. Painting was the natural fit. “It was difficult for me at first,” she conveys. “But I found that, with patience, I could effectively express my thoughts and emotions through painting.”

Due to her cerebral palsy, Kari is unable to speak. She has a special computerized communication device that assists her in communicating with others, and it also enables her to work as a data entry clerk.

Her art gives her another way to express her creativity, her feelings, and, most importantly, her faith.

“Since I am unable to speak, painting is the most effective way to express my inner self,” she recently shared.

Share this!