Karen "KE" Griffin
Kansas City native Karen E. Griffin (KE) is a self-taught visual, teaching, and performing artist who creates vibrant abstract works exploring themes of identity and urban landscapes. Influenced by her mother's entrepreneurial spirit and formative experiences with her seventh-grade art teacher, art classes at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City and Hallmark Cards Inc. Griffin's art reflects a unique perspective shaped by her Kansas City and Marlin, Texas roots. She is an Accredited National and International Storyteller due to life encounters regarding her grandmother picking cotton and her mother measuring cotton in the garment district in Kansas City.
Karen E. Griffin's artistic contributions to the Kansas City area have earned her significant recognition, including being named Missouri Arts Council Honoree 2025 Individual Artist representing the State of Missouri and the City of Kansas City. The Jackson County, Missouri, Office of the County Legislature further honored her with Proclamation Resolution NO. 21819. She is one of eight Artists -in-Residence, Englewood Arts Center, Independence, Missouri. She is also a Feature Artist at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures and Clayton Staples, McKnight Arts Center and is a 2025 Individual Artist Missouri Arts Council Honoree. Her educational and historical collections, exhibited across the metro area and other states, were highlighted in Kansas City Studio magazine, and The Kansas City Globe. In addition to her art, Karen dedicates time reaching African American culture, enjoying conversations with her grandchildren, and supporting the homeless community.
