Karen Rhiner

Founder of West Coast Drawing, 2003

“Associating with highly talented artists raises the bar for my own work. By exhibiting together, I hope we’re raising the bar for artists working in drawing media all over San Diego.”

Karen Rhiner

Karen Rhiner pursued a successful career as a fiber artist from 1982 until 1992, producing about 100 commissioned works and as many gallery and exhibition pieces in a wrapped wall sculputre format. She was honored with two solo shows. Four years after that, she made painted sculptures of people bumbling through what it means to be human. She discovered colored pencils in 1998 and has turned her attention to that medium, using it to explore the dilemmas of living in contemporary society. She is the founder of West Coast Drawing and has been awarded two solo exhibitions at the San Diego Art Institute – Museum of the Living Artist.


I wanted to be in this group for inspiration, motivation, information, validation, camaraderie, and to be a part of a significant group of working artists. WCD is what I was looking for – not a critique or a group that draws together, but a group that supports, informs, uplifts and provides opportunities to grow professionally.