Rita Koehler
Semifinalist
Rita Koehler (b. 1966, Kansas City, MO; l. South Bend, IN) has a BA in Psychology and Theology from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, South Bend, IN; an MFA from Lesley University College of Art and Design, Cambridge, MA; and a Certificate in Curatorial Studies from the University of Chicago, IL. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and since 2022, her most recent project, Glitch Mommy, has traveled to Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, New York and Roanoke. Koehler’s artwork is held in the permanent collection of the Kinsey Institute, Bloomington, IN; and her poetry, as part of a collaborative limited-edition book, is in the Rhode Island School of Design Library, Providence. Koehler has had residencies at Flash Powder Projects, Frances Niederer Artist-in-Residence Program, National Performance Network Residency, New Edition, Hyde Park Arts Center and Wild Residency Artist in Residence. She specializes in teaching to non-traditional students such as the incarcerated and other under-served populations.
Statement from the Artist:
Koehler situates herself in the debate of what constitutes an intelligible life. The philosophy of her work is based on the premise that existence is relational, and that to exist means to exist in communion.