Kelda Martensen, born in Tacoma, Washington is a visual artist known for her work in printmaking, collage, book arts and murals. Awards include the Larry Sommers Fellowship, Bell Cramer Award in Printmaking and the Conceptual Visionary Award from Pratt Fine Art Center. Her teaching awards include the Dan Evans Innovation in Teaching Award, the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award and Association of Women Faculty Graduate Award. She was an Artist-in-Residence at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France in 2011 and at Pratt Fine Art Center in Seattle in 2016. Her prints and artist books are in private and public collections including King County, the City of Tacoma, Google, Washington University in St. Louis Special Collections Library, Southern Graphics Council International Archive, Bokartas Contemporary Art Center, University of Missouri and Willamette University.

Martensen is tenured faculty of art at North Seattle College where she teaches printmaking, drawing, book arts and mural art. Martensen earned a BA in Studio Art from Willamette University and an MFA in Visual Art with a focus in Printmaking and Book Arts from Washington University in St. Louis. She lives in Seattle, Washington and is represented by J. Rinehart Gallery.

The books mentioned in the interview are Sista Tongue by Lisa Linn Kanae, At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom by Amy Hempel and Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Starting Again, 2019, Woodblock, Monotype, Solvent Transfer, Collage, 30 x 22 inches

This Is Our Moment, 2019, Woodblock, Solvent Transfer, Digital Print Artist Book, 22 x 18 inches