50 Artists for 50 Years: Kärin Kopischke

Photo credit: Art Kopischke

Kärin is a Door County-based costume designer for theatre and opera.

She earned a BM in Piano Performance and a BA in Studio Art from Lawrence University, where she now teaches Costume Design & Construction. Her award-winning designs have appeared in more than 300 productions across the country, including more than 30 world premieres and productions at 13 Tony Award winning theatres. She received two Wisconsin Arts Board grants in 2010 and 2011 for her historical rendering projects, Garments of our Foundation. She has received the Joseph Jefferson and AriZoni Awards for her costume designs, and was nominated for the Prague Quadrennial Exhibition, while her upcycled fashion design won the top prize in the Nordstrom Project N Fashion Challenge.

What energizes you about the future of the arts in Wisconsin?

I began designing costumes in San Francisco and Chicago, and I worried about how much work there would be for me when I returned to Wisconsin. But I have found such abundant and fulfilling work, having designed more than 100 productions for 13 different Wisconsin theatres and opera companies around the state, including exciting world premieres celebrating Wisconsin figures and Wisconsin stories. I’m inspired by the artists I’ve collaborated with and by the vibrant visual and performing arts I’ve experienced statewide. We’re facing significant challenges right now, but I believe the creative artists and arts leaders I know and admire will keep finding a way. Art finds a way.

Where can people find your work?

You can find Kärin’s work at karinkopischke.com and upcycled fashion designs on Etsy in her Gothic Flower shop. Her historical renderings are exhibited in the Door County communities of Fish Creek, Sister Bay and Ephraim, and her costume designs can be found on stages throughout Wisconsin.