Anne-Marie Karlsen

Professor

“The biggest kick I get is when my students do something they thought they could never do.”

One of the painters Anne-Marie Karlsen admires most is Picasso. But it’s not just the quality of his art that she values. Rather, it’s the master’s prolific output. “Picasso had no fear of diving into whatever medium interested him,” says Anne-Marie.

In that respect, she has followed in her idol’s footsteps. With a background in design, painting and printmaking she has recently embarked on a new avenue: ceramics. At SMC, she teaches beginning design, drawing and figure drawing. And, in addition, she holds a “two-thirds permanent position” in UCLA’s art department.

In her years of teaching, Anne-Marie has found that it’s important to demystify art. “We try to take the mystery out of art and give students practical steps on how they can increase observational skills and work with hand-eye coordination,” she explains.

Anne-Marie, whose parents immigrated from Norway, also draws upon her own experiences of growing up in a bi-cultural and bilingual household in her teaching. “I relate to the international students we have,” she says. “SMC is a good place to get used to the American system.”

“The art department at SMC is one of the best in the state on the community college level,” Anne-Marie says, adding that she’s seen many SMC art students transfer straight into UCLA’s graduate program. “They’re extremely well prepared,” she adds.

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