Cat Palmer
 | This biographical article is written like a résumé. (January 2011) |
Cat Palmer (born in Orange County, California) is an American queer photographer and artist best known for images of women and shaking things up with her art activism in a more conservative state. Cat is a renaissance woman who you can find being vocal about environmental issues with the SLC Air Protectors, making art, doing regular interviews on podcasts, radio, and television, giving lectures....or mentoring.
Biography[edit]
Palmer was born, in 1980, and raised in Orange County, California by her paternal grandparents, Ray & Lois Van De Warker. Cat started photographing people on the streets of Los Angeles and that is where she met punks, Spoon & Squid who were later a part of |Decline of The Western Civilization series. She graduated from Villa Park High School in 1997. Palmer studied photography at Orange Coast College, where John Upton taught.
She was married to artist, Blake Palmer from 1998-2013. Cat was a closeted gay Mormon and later left the LDS church and her marriage. She has two children with Blake.
She relocated to northern Utah in 2001. In 2004, she met her mentor Al Thelin and when deciding on whether to return to college and finish her degree he told her school could not teach her how to have an eye and to invest in equipment and to just keep shooting. He taught at the U of U for 18 years and Cat took what he said seriously.
Cat went on to lecture at most of the Universities and win many awards. She has been published in every publication and exhibited in just about every gallery in the Salt Lake Valley. Cat was the Director of The Urban Arts Gallery and helped open it and ran it for 18 months before resigning. Cat has an ongoing monthly segment on ABC 4 Good Things Utah.
|Cartoonist Pat Bagley married Cat to Dr. M M Dillon in a secret ceremony in April 2022.
She currently has a studio in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she displays her art and works commercial photography.
Career[edit]
Cat made a full-time go of her photography and art in 2009. She has been shooting since 1995 and professionally since 2004. In 2022, she retired from shooting weddings but still focuses on headshots and portraits of people. She photographed SLC Mayor |Jackie Biskupski's wedding to her wife, Betty. Cat was Jackie's personal photograph for many years. Many recognize Cat's Last Supper piece with the 12 bad asses of SLC.
Cat has tackled many political issues in her art including transgender visibility, gay |gay marriage, defying beauty standards in women, body autonomy/ reproductive rights, "GO HOME Trump", Black Lives Matter, and a few other feminist issues.
Black-and-white photography features strongly in her work, sometimes printed onto metal or wood with Xerox transfer words and spray pint mixed media.[1]
Recognition[edit]
In 2008 the Salt Lake City Weekly called Palmer's work "striking", and wrote that she was "one of the rising stars of the local art scene's work". They also noted that she is "active in the community, teaching classes and serving on the board of the Women's Art Center."[2]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Invited Artist for The Utah Arts Festival 2007
Best Photographer • 2007 • Artys City Weekly
Best Photographer • 2008 • Artys City Weekly
Best in Show for 2-D Mixed Media, at Utah Arts Festival 2009
Best Photographer • 2011 • Artys City Weekly
Best Photographer • 2016 • Fabby Award From QSalt Lake Magazine
Best Visual Artist • 2016 • Fabby Award From QSalt Lake Magazine
Best Feminist • 2016 • Salt Lake City Weekly Best of Issue
Best Visual Artist • 2017 • Fabby Award from Q Salt Lake Magazine
Best Visual Artist • 2017 • Best of Sat Lake City Weekly
Best Visual Artist • 2018 • Best of Salt Lake City Weekly
Best Visual Artist • 2019 • Best of Salt Lake City Weekly
Best Visual Artist • 2021 • Best of Salt Lake City Weekly
Exhibits[edit]
Cat has exhibited many places since 2011 including the 300 plates show for Art Access, The Urban Arts Gallery, Sugar House Art Stroll, Springville Museum and a variety of other places.
- 2015 zest (currently exhibiting)
- 2011 Tin Angel, March solo exhibit, Salt Lake City
- 2011 Art Space, January, Salt Lake City
- 2010 The Hive Gallery, ‘Age of Aesthetics’ Solo Exhibit, November, Salt Lake City[3]
- 2010 Utah Art Alliance, ‘Some where over the rainbow’, October, Salt Lake City
- 2010 Gallery UAF, February, Visual Dialogues, group exhibit
- 2009 Art Access, ‘Spousal Collaboration’, June, Salt Lake City[1]
- 2009 Kayo Gallery, ‘Inner Beauty’, February, Salt Lake City
- 2008 Iao Gallery, Heavy Metal, October, Salt Lake City[4][5]
- 2008 YWCA, Stop Domestic Violence, November, Salt Lake City
- 2008 Mestizo Gallery •Utah Artists Against Domestic Violence, September, Salt Lake City[6]
- 2008 North Ogden Arts Festival, August
- 2008 Addicted Café, July–September, Salt Lake City
- 2008 (a) pertue, Summertime Soiree, July, Salt Lake City
- 2008 Utah Arts Festival, June, Salt Lake City[7]
- 2008 Art Access, ‘300 plates’, May, Salt Lake City
- 2008 Ken Sanders Rare Books, ‘Blood, Fertility, Magic’, May, Salt Lake City
- 2008 UCASA, April, Salt Lake City
- 2008 Poor Yorick, Invited Artist, March, Salt Lake City
- 2008 University of Utah, ‘Political is Personal’, March, Salt Lake City
- 2008 Kayo Gallery, ‘A tribute to battered women’, February, Salt Lake City
- 2008 The Women's Art Center, ‘Fusion’, February, Salt Lake City 2008
- 2007 Tin Angel, Salt Lake City
- 2007 Poor Yorick, Invited Artist, Salt Lake City
- 2007 Slow Train, Salt Lake City
- 2007 Women's Art Center, ‘Progression’, Salt Lake City
- 2007 Utah Arts Festival Gallery, ‘Imagine’, Salt Lake City
- 2007 Caffe Niche, Salt Lake City
- 2007 Utah Arts Festival, June, Invited Artist[8]
- 2007 Broadway Theater, Salt Lake City
- 2006 Poor Yorick, Invited Artist, Salt Lake City[9]
- 2006 Cisco 13, Salt Lake City
- 2006 Broken Records, Salt Lake City
- 2006 Coffee Break, Salt Lake City
- 2005 The Unknown Gallery, Salt Lake City
- 2005 Nouveaux Alt, Salt Lake City
- 2005 Stoneground, Salt Lake City
- 2004 Cup of Joe, Salt Lake City
Publications and articles[edit]
2022, Human Stories Podcast, Episode 106
2021, Why Cat Palmer Inspires Us To Be Brave, Got Beauty
2019, Smog Lake City, City Weekly, Scott Renshaw
2017, The Hill, Protestors spell out "Go Home Trump"
2017, Democracy Now!, Thousands Protest
2017, Salt Lake Tribune, Protestors "Go Home Trump"
2016, Episode 210, I Am Salt Lake Podcast (live)
2016, City Weekly, Q&A with art activist Cat Palmer, by Andrea Harvey
2016, SLUG magazine, Stranger No More, by Mariah Mann Mellus
2016, The Utah Daily Chronicle, Cat Got Your Tongue, Julie Hirschi
2016, Episode 9, Your Cr8tivity podcast
2015, Episode 177, I am Salt Lake Podcast
2015, Utah photographer sets table for edgier take on Last Supper, by Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
2015, Let’s Go Eat Podcast with Bill Allred
2015, Episode 189 The Last Supper, I am Salt Lake Podcast
2015, Tightrope to the Sun Blog, Be Prolific, Emma J Phelps
2015, The Salt Life, Empowering Women Through Art by Deena Marie
2014, A Star Wars Art Exhibit for May the Fourth, by Sean Means
2013, Cat Palmer has hundreds of secrets, by Paul Duane
2013, Nomad Nouvelle, by Mandy
2012, Salt Lake Tribune, by Sean Means
2012, 15 Bytes, by Shawn Rossiter
2012, Finding Empowerment with Cat Palmer
2012, City Weekly, You Don't Own ME, Bill Frost
2012, Salt Lake Magazine Blog, The Utah Arts Festival
- 2010, SLUG magazine, Gallery Stroll, by Mariah Mellus[10]
- 2010, The Salt Lake Tribune, A bold look at bald, by Daisy Blake[11]
- 20101, Salt Lake City Weekly, Cat Palmer: Age of Aesthetics by Brian Staker[12]
- 2010, ABC4, Interview for age of aesthetic shoot
- 2010, Fox 13 News, Interview for age of aesthetic shoot[13]
- 2010, KUTV News, Interview for age of aesthetic shoot
- 2010, In This Week, Arts: Cat Palmer's Close Shave, by Daisy Blake[14]
- 2009, The Rock Salt, Interview with KUTV, by Gavin Sheenan
- 2009, In This Week, Cover Story, Artist Profile, by Ryan Michael Painter[15]
- 2009, Salt Lake City Weekly, Synergetics, by Brian Staker[16]
- 2008, Women's Week 2008 Political is Personal: Activism Embodied[permanent dead link][17]
- 2008, Salt Lake Magazine, Words to live by
- 2008, Salt Lake City Weekly, Photography
- 2008, The Daily Chronicle, Women's Week: Camera critiques social issues
- 2007, The Salt Lake Tribune, To Hell & Back
- 2007, The Daily Chronicle, Art as Activism
- 2007, City Weekly, Gavin's Underground; Cat Palmer[18]
- 2007, Deseret Morning News
- 2007, Catalyst
- 2007, Standard Examiner, The Human Factor
- 2007, Standard Examiner, Go!, Flashes of beauty…power…grace
- 2007, SLUG
- 2007, Park City TV
References[edit]
- ^ a b Rossiter, Shawn (June 2009). "Art Access & Access II Galleries". Art Access/VSA arts of Utah. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Staff. "2008 Artys Awards". Salt Lake City Weekly. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ Hive, The (November 18, 2010). "The Hive Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah". Thehiveslc.blogspot.com. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ "www.oneartworld.com". oneartworld.com. November 27, 2008. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Awang (November 3, 2008). "ACME Burger Company Press Release" (PDF). Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ "Gallery Stroll (organization), Salt Lake City, Utah" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ "The Utah Arts Festival". Uaf.org. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ "The Utah Arts Festival". Uaf.org. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ "Poor Yorick Studios, Salt Lake City, Utah". Pooryorickstudios.com. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ "SLUG Magazine". Slugmag.com. November 6, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Blake, Daisy (November 15, 2010). "The Salt Lake Tribune". Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Staker, Brian (December 2, 2010). "City Weekly". Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Fox 13 News[dead link]
- ^ "In This Week". October 5, 2010. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ "In This Week". June 22, 2009. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Staker, Brian (June 17, 2009). "City Weekly". Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ The University of Utah[dead link]
- ^ "City Weekly". April 7, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "uaf1" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "slt1" is not used in the content (see the help page).
