Artist Bio
Katie Southworth is an award-winning, internationally collected abstract artist, bestselling author, and public speaker currently based in Bridgeport, CT. Originally from Darien Connecticut, she graduated from Colby College in Waterville Maine with Bachelor’s degrees in Studio Art and Psychology. Katie discovered her signature style her senior year of college, the same year she unfortunately grieved the sudden loss of her mother. She was the recipient of the Charles Hovey Pepper Prize for her body of work featured in the 2016 Senior Capstone Exhibition. She went on to receive her Masters in Teaching at the Tufts School of the Museum of Fine Arts in May 2018. In August of 2021, after three years of teaching elementary art for Boston Public Schools, she began pursuing her fine art career full-time. She moved her practice to Connecticut in July 2023.
Over 350 of her original works are in private and public collections across 90+ cities around the nation and abroad. Katie’s work has been exhibited at international art fairs including Aqua Art Miami (Art Basel Week), and featured in international, local, and fine art publications including Vanity Fair London, Colby Magazine, and Create! Magazine. Katie has delivered Keynote Speeches about her life and work at Gradutation Ceremonies and Mental Health Organization fundraisers, including Wave Strong's inaugural event in September 2024.
In April 2024 Katie published her first book, Dr. Roy G. Biv; Healing One Colorful Painting at a Time, An Artist's Journey to Hope and Joy. It is currently available on Amazon in hardcover and paperback.
Subscribe to her email list here for early access to new releases and shows. Follow her journey and learn more on instagram @katiesouthworth_art.
Artist Statement
My work harnesses the healing power of color to promote joy, wellness, and hope. I find inspiration within my chosen lifestyle of prioritizing mental and physical health: a continuous healing journey that began after losing my mother to suicide. Quickly, color became my language for what words could not say, and my meditative process became my self-care.
I strive for a harmonious balance of joyful color, calming minimalism, and uplifting vertical line. A painting feels complete when it conjures a memory, a lesson, or a piece of wisdom. This inspires its title and a complementary statement. Through this practice, I feel as though I collect teachings of what makes a life worth living: a joyful one of thriving rather than surviving.
I hope my work serves as symbols that joy and holistic health are a human right, no matter where you are in life: beautiful, cruel, and everywhere in between. I share them to normalize authenticity, vulnerability, and the power of peace. Ultimately, my mission is to reduce stigma and foster a brighter, healthier future for all. This higher purpose of my work is dedicated to my mother, Ellie. In honor of her, a percentage of all sales are donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
My Studio
Bridgeport, CT
Currently, my NEW studio at The AmFab is under a bit of construction! Join my newsletter to hear about the upcoming warming party.
1069 Connecticut Ave. #310
Bridgeport, CT