Karen Birdgenaw is a force of nature whose boundless artistry is matched in equal measure by an unerring, keen perception. As with most leaders in any field of endeavor, Karen very early in life focused and immersed herself in what she recognized as her true, burning passion – the world of art. As a child she would spend a great deal of her spare time drawing and painting. The time spent was fueled by curiosity about all that she saw around her It inspired and informed a lifelong career.

Academically, after her secondary school education, Karen studied Fine Art and Graphic Design at both Concordia University and Dawson College. These were highly formative years, when she was free to explore artistic expression.

This period served her well-she developed strong draftsmanship, great painting skills and mastery of various other forms of fine art, use of materials and techniques. But she also learned to marry these virtues with the practical world of business.

Her post-academic career has been marked by an energetic work ethic and endless, varied creative projects.

Among her countless endeavors, Karen has designed, illustrated and art directed a plethora of CD cover designs, most notably for many luminaries in the realm of jazz and pop music. She is well-known for her personable, engaging attitude and no-nonsense business approach. As a painter, she unleashes a spirited artistry that takes on many forms and mediums. Her canvases are where she makes her unmistakable mark – her work is truly unique and at once recognizable.

Karen has also illustrated books and other commercial projects, practiced corporate design and packaging, theater (stage & costume) design, and provides copywriting as well.
On top of all that (whoo!) she makes a full-time living (beside being a mom!) as Vice-President of Design at a prominent Montreal firm, designing home décor and furniture products for large retailers across North America.

Over the last several years, Ms. Birdgenaw has participated in, and coordinated charitable group vernissages for a Pointe-St-Charles lady’s painting collective, closely tied to a non-profit theater troop in that community.

Karen’s paintings hang in many private collections, including the Verdun City Hall and her works will soon be an integral part of an historical retrospective exhibition revealing the immigration, plight and contributions of Montreal’s Irish citizenry, at Maison des Soeurs Grises, in Vieux Montreal, as well as, eventually, somewhere at in the Black Rock Memorial Site.