Karen Karnes was a ceramist, best known for her salt glazed, earth-toned stoneware ceramics. Karnes was guest faculty and art in residence of ceramics in the summers of 1952 through 1954. She was also a student in the summer of 1946, and "resident production potter."

Karnes and husband, David Weinrib led the first Pottery Seminar at Black Mountain College in October 1952.

Karnes also taught at the Penland School of Crafts and at Haystack Mountain School of Craft. She was an integral part of the Stony Point, NY artist community known as The Land, where she lived and worked for 25 years alongside fellow BMC alums and faculty M.C. Richards, John Cage, Stan VanDerBeek, and Paul and Vera Williams.

Alternative Names: Karen Karnes Fromer

Relationships

Husband: Fellow BMC guest faculty David Weinrib

Black Mountain College Project

Mary Emma Harris interviewed Karen in 1999 and the transcript is available from Appalachian State University under The Mary Emma Harris and Black Mountain College Project, Inc. Oral History collection.

Topics: Study with Serge Chermayeff at Brooklyn College and enrollment at 1946 summer program at BMC – study with Josef Albers and woodworking with Mary Gregory – early work in Pennsylvania and study in Italy – study at Alfred – potter-in-residence at BMC – BMC pottery – 1953 summer with Daniel Rhodes, Warren MacKenzie and Peter Voulkos – Peter Voulkos – teaching at BMC – lake performance – theater at BMC – Jack Rice extension to pot shop – Barbara Rice – attitude toward potters at BMC – Charles Olson – M.C. Richards at BMC and The Land – 1952 Pottery Seminar – organization of Gatehill Cooperative community and life there – sales outlets in 1950s – Patsy Lynch Davenport Wood