Katherine Engen Malkasian is the sole proprietor of Valley Ridge Art Studio. During her undergraduate psychology and art therapy studies at Edgewood College in Madison, the idea of an art studio providing a process-oriented approach to experiencing art came to light. Valley Ridge Art Studio provides coursework and resources devoted to bringing the intrinsic life-affirming qualities of physically creating art to a diverse audience, including artists, writers, teachers, librarians and craftspeople.
Inspired by arts ability to communicate and question, and driven by visual expression, Kathy feels a particular connection to Book Arts. Surrounded by her mothers book collection as a child, Kathys appreciation of the visual, olfactory and tactile aesthetics of books has created a deep, lifelong love of this art form. As a gift from her father, Kathy obtained her first book press in 1996.
Kathy has taught a variety of workshops on book making and paper making, as well as exhibited handmade papers, handmade books and specialty journals, artists books, artist's dolls and Japanese folded boxes at venues such as the Kohler Library in Madison, Wisconsin, the Golda Meir Library in Milwaukee, The Wisconsin Arts Board in Madison, the River Arts Gallery in Prairie du Sac, Madison Main Library, and Edgewood College. Additionally, her photography has been featured in The Cerebral Caf and the Edgewood College catalog.
She has completed Book Arts and Non-fiction coursework at the Rhinelander School of Arts and Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Kathy is a member of the Wisconsin Regional Artists Association, Badwater Book Club and the Madison Art Center. She is a founding member of the Bone Folders Guild.
Kathy holds an M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy and a B.S. in Psychology from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to individual, family and group counseling, Kathy has taught, facilitated and guest lectured at working groups, seminars and workshops focusing on art therapy, as well as other types of therapies and counseling. She is formerly a Treatment Specialist at ATTIC Correctional Services in Madison, Wisconsin.
