Spring 2020, Volume 28

From the Art Editor

It took me some time to reconcile steady, amiable Karen Olsen-Dunn with her paintings’ hard edges, “acid” colors, clanging visual rhythms, insistent inclusion of imagery from the natural world but never using nature for her easy aesthetics. I believe Karen is simply a golden retriever’s best friend (see Winston on Karen's website) who has a pack of ambitions for her visual artwork. Her inner cadaver-sniffing dog alerts to what stinks in this world, she reconnoiters with the energy of a blue heeler, retrieves with the care of a bird dog, and then like a border collie organizes everything and presents you with all you should know. Can we keep up with her? I’m trying, and I invite you to lift a glass with me and probably Karen, too, as we all shelter in place and sniff for a better tomorrow.

                                                                                                                                                            —Jack Miller