Kristin Powers

Kristin beth Powers is a sculptural installation artist and educator whose work explores communication, silence, and the emotional terrain of disorientation. Born in Chicago and raised in England and Canada, she creates immersive environments using sculptural forms, sound, and lens-based media to evoke moments of resonance, disruption, and transformation. She holds an MFA in Sculpture from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a BFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).⁣⁣ 

Powers’ work has been shown at the New Museum of Arts and Design NYC, Currier Museum of Art NH, Rhode Island School of Design, Center For the Visual Arts WI, First Street Gallery NYC, Remarque Santa Fe, MassArt x SoWa Boston, MERZ Gallery Scotland, and SAGE Gallery WY. She has attended residencies at MERZ, Vermont Studio Center, Haystack, and Penland. Powers’ recent curatorial projects include More Art/less cancer, The Art of Lobbying-How Students Saved MassArt, Raising the Gavel, Elemental, What Do We Have To Say?, and The Art of Storytelling. 

Powers' has contributed as a Visiting Lecturer at institutions such as RISD, University of Colorado-Boulder, Anthroposophical / Waldorf Academies internationally, and the Boston Design Center, sharing her expertise on Acoustic Ecology, Installation Art, Ceramics, and Experiential Arts & Child Development, 

Powers recently played a pivotal role in formulating locally mined clay from former brickfields, establishing the groundwork for a new ceramic residency in the Dumfries/Galloway area of Southwestern Scotland. 

In 1990, Powers co-founded Trikeenan Tileworks, a U.S. manufacturer of high quality handcrafted architectural ceramics, achieving international attention and earning high accolades for design and manufacturing. She served as Designer, CEO, and CFO, until mid-2011. In 2012, Powers assumed a leadership role in developing and directing the experiential arts program at an innovative Waldorf high school, later becoming its Chair. In 2016, Powers extended her impact to Asia, teaching and assisting in the development of high school art programs in China, as well as volunteering in schools and orphanages in Nepal and India.

Currently based in Boston, Powers teaches at MassArt, RISD, JP Clay, and NECC. She also works closely with MassArt’s Academic Affairs on assessment projects and curates the college’s art collection. Deeply committed to service and interdisciplinary learning, she teaches experiential art remotely for a Buddhist/Steiner-based international teacher training college based in Nepal and Scotland.⁣⁣ 

Kristin Beth Powers is a creative artist, educator, curator, and entrepreneur with decades of experience designing, developing, and working in innovative enterprises.  Her artistic practice focuses on sculptural installations that thoughtfully explores the fragility of communication, the tension of silence, and the emotional terrain of disorientation—creating immersive environments that invite reflection and dialogue. 

An experienced art professor, Powers teaches across university and secondary school levels, offering courses in Drawing, Colour, Ceramics, Sculpture, Book Arts, Art History, and the essential role of Experiential Arts in Child Development (ages 3–21). Based in Boston, she currently teaches at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), JP Clay, and Northern Essex Community College (NECC), delivering courses both in-person and online. Across these institutions, she is actively involved in research and curriculum development. 

Powers further contributes as a Visiting Lecturer, offering her expertise in Experiential Arts, Acoustic Ecology, Installation Art, and Ceramics. She has shared her insights at institutions including RISD, the University of Colorado—Boulder, various international Anthroposophical Academies, and Design Centers. She also instructs experiential arts remotely for an international Buddhist/Steiner teacher-training college based in Nepal.

In addition to her teaching roles, Powers collaborates closely with MassArt’s Academic Affairs department, where she curates and installs the college’s permanent art collection and leads specialised assessment initiatives. 

Beyond academia, Powers offers strategic consulting and visioning services for emerging private and nonprofit ventures, with a focus on supporting creative entrepreneurs and socially engaged enterprises.

Recently contracted to formulate locally mined clay from former brickfields into a usable throwing and sculptural clay body, Powers successfully laid the foundation for a new ceramic residency to open in the Dumfries/Galloway area of Southwestern Scotland.

In 2012, Powers was invited to develop, direct, and teach the arts program at an innovative Waldorf high school, eventually becoming Administrative Chair. In 2016, having developed an international student program for the high school, Powers was invited to teach and assist in the development of Waldorf Art programs throughout China, as well as volunteering in schools and orphanages in Nepal and India.

In 1990, Powers co-founded Trikeenan Tileworks, a US manufacturer of architectural ceramics. She served as Designer, CEO, and CFO, until mid-2011, growing the company from inception to $3+ million in annual sales to multiple market channels internationally. With 2 factories and a gallery showroom, Powers co-developed diverse ceramic designs, processes, and business strategies receiving several awards for product and exhibit design, architectural design, and manufacturing. Utilizing age-old handmade tile techniques as well as modern automated methods, Trikeenan was commissioned for hospitality and architectural projects, wholesale, retail, and national accounts such as Gensler, Starbucks, and Wholefoods. Powers employed a diverse group of 50+ employees without bias to race, ethnicity, or gender, empowered to continually improve production processes. Often on the cutting edge of industry trends, Trikeenan was recognized as a visionary leader in the artisanal tile market for over 20 years. 

Powers holds a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI.⁣⁣

A Master of Fine Arts in the US is considered a Terminal Degree.