By Janet Hewitt
Karen Cadogan keeps the trains running on time at the Smithsonian Associates as its Administrative Program Specialist, but her side gig is rather intriguing as well: She creates elaborate, hand-crafted, cards which is an art form in and of itself.
And, it turns out, people are willing to learn her craft directly from her at Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts workshops. She has taught three versions thus far, built around prime card-giving holidays—think Mother’s Day, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day. (In fact, they just added an afternoon class on this Saturday, November 16, from 2 pm to 5 pm, because the morning session of “Holiday Card Workshop: Making Memorable Masterpieces” sold out.)
Most weekdays you might get a glimpse of her hurrying down a hallway at Ripley heading for a meeting, but on a few days of the year she puts on her instructor hat and meets the core audience for studio arts classes—eager, fun, smart people who are lucky enough to live in the DC area and take advantage of creative pursuits like this.
So while Ms. Cadogan is busy most days, non-stop, with the job she’s paid to do, we grabbed a few minutes of her time to hear more about her art form, and, well, just a little about her. (SPOILER ALERT: If you read on, you’ll meet a cat named Titus who likes to cuddle.)
Q: When did you first come on board at the Smithsonian Associates and what were you hired primarily to do? Has your job changed since you first arrived?
A: I started at Associates in 2001 as an Operations Coordinator. I went from the programming department to the IT department, where I did desktop support. From the IT department I moved to the administration department where I do all things admin and HR.
Q: When did you first start dabbling in the art of card-making? Are you self-taught or have you taken some classes from an instructor anywhere? What has your journey of discovery been like in terms of finding your unique art form?
A: I started making holiday cards in 2012. I wanted to send handmade cards to friends and family, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on supplies. I went to the local big box craft store, purchased about four stamp pads and a handful of wood block stamps with phrases. I used yarn and a few other recycled paper materials to make my cards. I still have one from that first year. It looks nothing like what I do now with pattern paper and die-cut images. I am self-taught, but will say YouTube is a great source for learning new techniques.
Q: When you first joined the Smithsonian Associates did you ever think you would be teaching a studio arts class? How did it come about that you were given that opportunity and did you think when you first started that your classes might sell out?
A: Never in a million years did I think I would teach a studio arts class. I approached Kathy Fuller [Program Coordinator, Studio Arts] to see if she would be interested in having me teach a holiday card class. We offered wreath-making and felted elf classes, but I thought there would be interest in a card-making class. I was very surprised that it sold out!
Q: You clearly have a creative side, so how do you draw on that and put it to use in your day job when you are not teaching sold-out card-making workshops?
A: Occasionally I have to write part of position descriptions, justification, or performance reviews. I call them my creative writing assignments. It is a time when I am able to be creative and not stick to researching and interpreting Smithsonian Directives!
Q: What are your other hobbies when you are not at Ripley either teaching classes or managing operations in other areas?
A: I read a ton. I’ve been in the “same” book club for over 15 years. I enjoy going to concerts, be it Mozart or Muse. Working underground [in the Ripley building] has given me a deep appreciation for the outdoors. I love to garden and hike. My travel bucket list is ever growing. And I have a cat named Titus—after the Roman emperor—that loves to be cuddled.
Q: Is there a class that you would love to teach at some point that hasn’t yet found its way into the studio arts catalogue?
A: I will say there are techniques that I would love to teach with card-making that are tough without participants providing their own die-cutting machines. I don’t want to teach something that would require people to go out and spend a lot of money on a piece of equipment they may not ever use. And, I don’t want to just show them how to do something. The experience would be so much better if they could do it themselves!
Q: What new things have you learned about the broader community of people—both volunteers and studio arts class students, as well as Associates staff—since you’ve had the chance to teach a studio arts class?
A: Husbands will surprise their wives with date-night card-making classes! People want to be given direction but also like the freedom to deviate from my plan. If I show them something new and let them express themselves creatively, they delight me with what masterpieces they create.
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