Bio & Artist Statement
“
MY WORK IS ABOUT
ESCAPE.
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”
BIOGRAPHY:
​Kathryn Coers Rossman (insta: @kathryncoersrossman, portfolio: visura.co/rossman) is a photojournalist in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. She enjoys the community building aspect of documenting local news. Her shooting style resembles street photography. She also completes editorial projects as a conceptual photographer and creative director, producing themed creative portraits that are often surreal. She uses her editorial career to bolster her fine art career, and her fine art work to enhance her photojournalism. She is a Midwestern Millennial white woman — not the kind from a rich suburban enclave, but one generation removed from orphans and homesteaders, small folk from a small town. Her photos show vibrancy here little acknowledged in popular media, ever blinded by quaintness and dread of rural life. She is always looking for connections, ways to show how people think and feel the same, even though we may look and act so differently.
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Kathryn is a contributor at Bloom magazine and The Herald-Times, part of the USA Today Network. Her project "National Anthem: Punk Patriotism!" (2023) was published in Polyester magazine. Kathryn's project "Lisa Frank, All Grown Up" was featured #11 in LENSCRATCH's Favorite Photograph of 2023 exhibit. "The Majorette" (2022) was included in Cerulean: A Winter Photography Exhibit by Pattern magazine. She was the official event photographer for the 2021 Indiana Hot Air Balloon Festival, a featured artist at the 2021 Indy Rama home design show, and is a two time City of Bloomington Arts Commission Emerging Artist Grant recipient. Kathryn is a member of the Visual Arts Steering Committee for Constellation Stage & Screen's John Waldron Art Center.
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Kathryn is happily married and is the proud mother of a son. She left Indiana for twenty years, working in Silicon Valley, New York City's East Village and South Florida, before returning to her home state. Her cousin, photojournalist Michael Coers (deceased), won the Pulitzer Prize documenting school integration for the Louisville Courier Journal in 1975.
STATEMENT:
Known for images showcasing fantastic beauty and sweeping neglect, the allure Kathryn displays often hides an insidious evil. Emphasizing theatricality and absorption, bordering on fantasy and surrealism, her work is less about identity, politics and individualism than collective escape. She problematically offers nostalgia as a distraction from unpleasant realities and enjoys mixing tangible objects both hard and soft with thematic elements that are cozy and challenging, highbrow and kitsch. She creates cinematic compositions and utilizes vivid colors that pop!
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Her portraits occur within perfectly manicured sets with curated vintage clothing, props and backdrops. She learned photography as an eBay reseller during The Great Recession, selling thrifted jewelry to Courtney Love at Chateau Marmont and frequently landing on Etsy's front page. She was self-employed as a product photographer for a decade before compiling her fine art and editorial portfolio.
EXHIBITIONS
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National Anthem: Punk Patriotism!
(Kathryn's 1st Solo Show)
Constellation Stage and Screen & Bloomington Arts Commission
John Waldron Art Center
122 S Walnut Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
October 1 - November 30, 2025
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Last Minute Flash Pop-Up
Backspace Gallery
112 W 6th St
Bloomington, IN
August 2024
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City of Bloomington Emerging Artists
​Constellation Stage and Screen & Bloomington Arts Commission
John Waldron Art Center
July 12 - 24, 2024
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Left of Center
Backspace Gallery
Bloomington, IN
June 7 - 28, 2024
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The Airport Exhibition
Bloomington Photography Club
Monroe County Airport
972 S Kirby Road
Bloomington, IN 47403
February 15, 2024 - August 30, 2024
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Candy. Love. Lust. Heartbreak.
Backspace Gallery
Bloomington, IN
February 2024
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LENSCRATCH
The Favorite Photograph You Took in 2023 LENSCRATCH Exhibition
Online Only - January 1, 2024
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FAR Photo Review Exhibition
FAR Center for Contemporary Arts
Bloomington, IN
November 28 - December 1, 2023
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2023 Juried Exhibition
Bloomington Photography Club
John Waldron Art Center
Bloomington, IN
​​September - October 2023
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Indiana State Fair
Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center
Indianapolis, IN
July 28 - August 20, 2023
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Monroe County Fair
Monroe County Fairgrounds
Bloomington, IN
July 3 - 9, 2023
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Lineages of Birth
A university-community collaboration between the Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections, the former Bloomington Area Birth Services, and Tandem, with the sponsorship of The Mellon Foundation
Monroe County Public Library
303 E Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47408
May 2023
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Visual Arts Exhibition
Constellation Stage and Screen
Ted Jones Playhouse
107 W 9th Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
January - July, 2023
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​Illuminate: Emerging Bloomington Artists
​Constellation Stage and Screen & Bloomington Arts Commission
John Waldron Art Center
January 6 - February 24, 2023
Art Talk on February 17, 2023
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Seven Deadly Sins
Accrete Art Collective & Backspace Gallery
Bloomington, IN
January 6 - 28, 2023
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Something Figurative, This Way Comes
Accrete Art Collective & Backspace Gallery
Bloomington, IN
​November 4 - 26, 2022
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2022 Juried Exhibition
Bloomington Photography Club
John Waldron Art Center
Bloomington, IN
​​October 13 - December 15, 2022
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12-IN. UNDER
Accrete Art Collective & Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington
Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall
Bloomington, IN
September 3 - 25, 2022
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Pop-Up Exhibit
Bloomington Photography Club
Monroe County Convention Center
Bloomington, IN
August 1 - 31, 2022
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Indiana State Fair
Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center
Indianapolis, IN
July 29 - August 21, 2022
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Fluffy & Airy
Accrete Art Collective & Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington
Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall
Bloomington, IN
​July 8 - August 6, 2022
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Monroe County Fair
Monroe County Fairgrounds
Bloomington, IN
June 27 - July 3, 2022
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Intertwined: Art & Tech
High Frequency Arts
Hub & Spoke Design Center
Indianapolis, IN
April 1 - June 30, 2022
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Cerulean: A Winter Photography Exhibit
Pattern Magazine
317 Paradox
Indianapolis, IN
January 21 - February 28, 2022
Everything is Cyclical
Accrete Art Collective
Opie Taylor's Gallery
Bloomington, IN
January 14 - 28, 2022
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Celebration of Nature
Eagle Creek Park Foundation
Earth Discovery Center
Indianapolis, IN
December 4 - 19, 2021
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Holiday Pop-Up Shop
Accrete Art Collective
Opie Taylor's Gallery
Bloomington, IN
November 26 - December 18, 2021
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Indy Rama Home Tour
Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
October 29 - 31 + November 5 - 7, 2021
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Images of Nature Exhibition
Eagle Creek Park Foundation
Earth Discovery Center
Indianapolis, IN
September 18 - October 3, 2021
ONLINE
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INSTA: @KATHRYNCOERSROSSMAN
PORTFOLIO: VISURA.CO/ROSSMAN
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GRANTS
Emerging Artist Grant Recipient - 2023
Emerging Artist Grant Recipient - 2021
City of Bloomington Arts Commission
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AFFILIATIONS
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​Social Media Takeover - 2024
Womens' Photo Alliance NYC
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Constellation Stage & Screen & John Waldron Art Center
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Social Media Manager - 2024
Gallery Walk Bloomington
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Artistic Advancement Grant Reader - 2024
Emerging Artist Grant Reader - 2022
City of Bloomington Arts Commission
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Arts Fair on the Square Juror - 2023
Constellation Stage & Screen & John Waldron Art Center
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Speaker/Guest Critique- 2023
Rivera Camera Club, Indianapolis, IN
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​​Event Photographer:
Girls Rock Bloomington - 2024
Granfalloon Festival: A Kurt Vonnegut Convergence - 2024
Bloomington Handmade Market - 2024
Indiana Hot Air Balloon Festival - 2021
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Hot & Sweaty Summer Juror - 2024
Accrete Art Collective & Backspace Gallery
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Member of the Bloomington Photography Club, FAR Center for Contemporary Arts Photo Review, Accrete Art Collective and I FELL Community of Artists.
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CONTRIBUTING
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Kathryn is a contributor at The Herald-Times in Bloomington, IN. A newspaper serving a community of 80,000, The Herald-Times is owned by Gannett and part of the USA Today Network. Circulation: 27,540 Daily; 44,197 Sunday.
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Kathryn is a contributor at Bloom Magazine. Bloom is an independent culture and lifestyle magazine for Bloomington, Indiana, USA and surrounding areas. Each issue contains high-quality photography and thought-provoking, relevant editorial content about local people, arts, culture, entertainment, homes and gardens, food and beverages, health and fitness, science and education, community, and family life. Published bimonthly, Bloom is a free magazine with 12,000 copies available at more than 200 local shops, businesses, hotels, and restaurants.
Bloom Magazine won 12 awards - more than any other magazine in the state of Indiana - from the Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2023. Southern Indiana no longer has traditional newspaper coverage and Bloom magazine has become a valuable resource for local news.
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MENTORSHIP
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PhotoPhlo Advanced Critique with Stacy Mehrfar - 2024
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PhotoPhlo Photographer/Editor Collaboration Workshop with Elinor Carucci and Esquire Visual Director Justin O'Neill - 2023
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PhotoPhlo Portfolio Review with Matthew Baum - 2023
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Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA) Portfolio Review with Vanessa Charlot, Maggie Steber and Laura Novoa - 2022
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Kathryn receives mentorship from Ione Gamble and Gina Tonic from Polyester magazine
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​ACADEMICS
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Museum of Modern Art Academic Program, New York, NY
History of Modern Design, Industrial Revolution to the Present (2010)
Modern and Contemporary Art, 1945 – Today (2009)
The Domus-Dwelling-Private-Public-Single-Multi-Family-Habitat: History of the Modern House (2008)
New York University, New York, NY
Masters of Arts, English - 2008-2010
Coursework completed, thesis/degree abandoned during Great Recession due to financial hardship. Kathryn began working as a photographer in 2009 and fell in love with her new profession. She writes to support her photographs but now prefers to communicate as a visual artist.
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Conference Papers:
Literature and the Mass Produced Image
Graduate English Organization Conference on Utopian and Dystopian Literatures
The Formative Years: Children's Literature in the University
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​Conference Planning: “Literature and the Mass Produced Image.” New York University Graduate English Organization. New York University, April 2, 2010
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Bachelor of Arts: Double Major, Comparative Literature and English
Graduated: May 2005
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Indiana University Writers’ Conference Attendee (2003)
Teaching Experience: Briscoe Residential Center, Indiana University (2002-2003)
Taught 3 classes (15 students each)
Editorial: Organization of American Historians Magazine of History Editorial Intern/Author (2004-2005)
Bullerdick, Kathryn. “Read, Write and Think Gender History: Making Over the Comic Landscape.” Organization of American Historians Magazine of History 19.2 (2005): 29-30.
AWARDS
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"Lisa Frank, All Grown Up" was featured #11 in The Favorite Photograph You Took in 2023 LENSCRATCH Exhibition.
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Featured artist at the 2021 Indy Rama home design show.
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Beyond the Camera Class Champion - 2024
Black & White Class Honors - 2024
Beyond the Camera Class Champion - 2023
Black & White Class Reserve Champion - 2023
Black & White Salon Class Honors - 2023
Color Class Champion - 2022
Color Salon Class Reserve Champion - 2022
Monroe County Fair
Bloomington, IN
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Professional Portrait Class Honorable Mention - 2022
Indiana State Fair
Indianapolis, IN
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Why does Kathryn participate in the county and state fair? Set up on major trade routes, fairs began as venues where people could display their crafts and skills for sale or trade. Combining the celebration of regional identity with socialization, amusement, learning and selling, today's fairs contain high-quality submissions. The fair environment is one of temporal displacement, nostalgia overload. Carnival rides burst to life around a discussion of crops, livestock and land use. Kathryn is interested in the heritage and ongoing maintenance of these spaces.
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COPYRIGHT
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All Images © 2009-2024 Kathryn Coers Rossman All Rights Reserved. Please do not save, share or distribute without permission.