Artist:
Chris Dahlquist learned to use a camera and darkroom as she was learning to ride a bicycle and write in cursive. Originally from Fort Worth, she wrote her first artist statement on a Big Chief Tablet in phonetic Texan, claiming for herself a life of travel and “tacking pitchers”. She has held a camera in her hands ever since.
After spending the early part of her career in commercial photography and film, Dahlquist returned to her childhood proclamation and since 1998 has traveled and exhibited extensively throughout the United States. Committed to the accessibility of art for all people, Dahlquist exhibits in a variety of traditional and non-traditional settings including art galleries, art fairs, and large-scale public installations that allow audiences to encounter and interact with photographs in unexpected ways. Dahlquist’s works are in hundreds of individual, corporate and civic collections. In addition to many awards in top Juried Art Festivals around the country, Dahlquist has been awarded an Inspiration Grant from the Metropolitan Kansas City Arts Council and a Development Grant from the Mid-America Art Alliance. Dahlquist is represented by Sager Reeves Gallery in Columbia, MO and Olson-Larsen Galleries in Des Moines, IA.
Consultant | Business Strategist:
Raised by a preacher and a CPA, in addition to her studio practice Dahlquist reflects her upbringing with the passionate pragmatism she brings to her civic practice of helping artists and creative entrepreneurs build sustainable careers. Using curriculum development, workshops, lectures, community building and one-on-one mentoring, she has worked with hundreds of individual artists of all disciplines to develop strategies and business skills to support their practices. Her unique experiences and perspective as a working artist have also led her to lecture both locally and nationally on a variety of business and economic development topics. Carrying the stories of the artists she has worked with and a guiding principle that the individual artist must be at the center of a strong arts ecosystem, Dahlquist works with municipalities, arts organizations, and businesses to develop strategies, programs and policy to support the individual artist within the larger community. Dahlquist partnered with Kansas City, MO, the Kansas City Economic Development Council and AltCap: Alternative Capital for Community Impact to develop and launch the first artist centered micro-lending program in the country. And most recently developed the Creative Economy Initiative for Bravo Greater Des Moines, a comprehensive action plan for the support of individual artists living and working in the Des Moines area.
