MK Guth facts for kids

MK Guth (born in 1963) is an amazing installation artist from Portland, Oregon, in the United States. An installation artist creates art that fills a whole space, like a room, and you can often walk through it or interact with it. MK Guth's art often involves special traditions and places where people come together.

Her artwork has been shown all over the world! You can find her pieces in famous places like the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. She has also shown her art at big events like the Melbourne International Arts Festival. MK Guth has won important awards too, like the Betty Bowen Special Recognition Award.

MK Guth's Journey as an Artist

MK Guth studied sociology at the University of Madison, Wisconsin. After that, she earned a special degree called a Master of Fine Arts from New York University. This degree helps artists become even better at their craft.

What Made Her Famous?

MK Guth first became well-known around the world for her art at the Whitney Biennial in 2008. The Whitney Biennial is a big art show that happens every two years. Her art piece was called "Ties of Protection and Safe Keeping."

For this artwork, visitors were asked to write down what was most important to them on small pieces of cloth. These cloth pieces were then woven into a giant sculpture. The idea for this art piece was inspired by the fairy tale of Rapunzel. The sculpture grew a lot during the show, reaching an amazing 500 feet long!

Art That Grows and Changes

In 2011, MK Guth spent 20 days as an artist-in-residence in Las Vegas. During this time, she created another braided art piece. This one was 200 feet long and filled two rooms! It was the last artwork in her special series of braided sculptures.

In 2012, MK Guth made new art installations called "When Nothing Else Subsists, Smell and Taste Remain" and "Taste and Smell Remain." She showed these at The Art Gym in Lake Oswego, Oregon. For these artworks, she used food to help people remember things and feel emotions.

A book was even published about her art, especially her interactive pieces. These include "Red Shoe Delivery Service," "Lenticulars," and her famous "Braids" series.

MK Guth has shown her art at many places, including the Melbourne International Arts Festival and the Nottdance Festival in England. She also teaches art at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland.

Where Has MK Guth's Art Been Shown?

MK Guth's art has been featured in many exhibitions, both by herself and with other artists.

Solo Art Shows

These are shows where only MK Guth's art was displayed:

• 2016: Shout, Recount, Get ..., Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York, NY
• 2016: This Fable is Intended for You: A Work Energy Principle, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
• 2014: Advice Station, Aqua Miami Basel, Miami FL
• 2014: MK Guth, Gallery Pfeister, Gudhjem, Denmark
• 2012: When Nothing Else Subsists, Smell and Taste Remain, Marylhurst Art Gym, Lake Oswego, OR
• 2011: Best Wishes, P3 Studio, Cosmopolitan Resort, Las Vegas, NV

Group Art Shows

These are shows where MK Guth's art was displayed alongside other artists' work:

• 2016: In Scene, Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, OR
• 2015: Andy Warhol to Kara Walker: Picturing the Iconic, Art Museum of Sonoma, Santa Rose, CA
• 2014: Memory Palace, Center for Contemporary Arts, Cincinnati, OH
• 2008: Whitney Biennial, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY