media/news

EXHIBITIONS

Karen exhibits in various galleries across the USA. From July 18, 2006 through September 24, 2006, 22 original paintings were on display for the

public at the Clark County Library in Las Vegas, NV. She is a prior member of the Henderson Art Association and a current member of the

Clark County Artist Guild and the Vegas Artist Guild. On November 7, 2009 Wallo won First Place in Painting in the "Fall Art Affair," a regional

juried competition at the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art.

Current Exhibitions :

Grape Street Art Walk

7501 W. Lake Mead Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89128

Jan. 21, 2011

7-10pm Group Art Exhibit

Art from the Heart

4020 N. Tenaya Way

Las Vegas, NV 89129

group exhibition Sept. 4-Oct. 2nd

Summerlin-area Artist Receives First-place Ribbon

Marc Chicoine/Special to View

Summerlin-area resident Karen Wallo holds her first-place ribbon in the oil / acrylics painting category at the Southern Nevada Museum

of Fine Art, 450 Fremont St., Nov. 7. The regional competition was open to artists from four states. Elizabeth Herridge, former director

of the Guggenheim Museum of Las Vegas and current director of the Springs Preserve, juried the competition. Wallo received a

blue ribbon for her abstract expressionist piece titled "Purple Twilight," seen beside her. "It is deeply fulfilling and motivating that my

work has been recognized by someone who is such an authority on art," Wallo said. The group exhibition is on display until Jan.8th

Karen Wallo's NEW CD, dedicated to saving endangered wildlife,

particularly wolves, wild horses and burros, is Now Available at

CD BABY! Click on CD cover to listen and purchase

KAREN WALLO: Art from the heart

Former lounge singer draws inspiration from inner wellspring for paintings

By JAN HOGAN

VIEW STAFF WRITER

Drooling tubes of paint lie waiting on her dining room window ledge. An easel occupies central space in the

room. After 20 years of putting painting on the back burner and singing full time, Karen Wallo of Summerlin

began immersing herself in her life's passion, painting, eight years ago. Art is in her blood. Wallo is the niece

of Maurice Valo, famous Czechoslovakian artist of the 1930s.

Wallo, whose family Americanized the Valo name, paints in mixed media, and while she uses a variety of

styles, said she likes doing impressionism and abstracts best. Perhaps that's because she relies on her inner

self to create images."I never use references when I paint," she said.

"I don't go sit in a forest and draw. It's from my heart. It's already in me.

"It's so in her that she "zones out" when she's at her easel and lets the

creativity flow, she said. Afterwards, elements such as birds and

dolphins can be detected in her abstracts. Her creations can take

hours or months to complete."I know when it's done," she said.

"It's like it speaks to me."Wallo studied fine arts and music at

Montclair University in New Jersey and graduated in 1981, magna

cum laude.Still, the credit for her ability to paint goes elsewhere,

she said."I give all glory for my creative gifts to God, our Heavenly

Father," she said. "I hope my work brings beauty and inspiration to

the world."Her art is already in private collections around Europe, in

Canada and across the United States, she said.

Above, artist Karen Wallo works on a painting.

Below, Wallo's piece, titled "Prehistoric Wetlands”

Photos by Louie Traub/View

A Swedish musician, Thomas Rydell, used one of her paintings for the cover of his CD,

Wallo said. She said that at one point, she combined her talents with Fernando Molinari,

well known artist from Buenos Aires, to paint nine pieces in tandem. Joe Palermo, an artist

who owns Gallery P in Holsum Lofts, 231 W. Charleston Blvd., said he has watched Wallo

begin to emerge as an artist of note."It's always a struggle for an artist to make it," he said.

"The competition is stiff and the key is to find your own niche and get galleries to exhibit

your work." he said Wallo has talent and it's obvious her work comes from the heart. Artist

Janet Gwendolyn Smith promotes Wallo on her own site, www.jgsart.com, as one of the

field's up-and-coming stars. "Her work is very sensual in an interesting way," Smith said.

"She does everything to music and you can see the music in the strokes of her brush."

Wallo's piece, titled

"Prehistoric Wetlands.

" Photos by Louie Traub / View

Wallo already had a successful 20-year career in the music business.

It was that talent that brought her to Las Vegas 13 years ago. She

sang in lounges at a variety of Strip hotels. Before that, she performed

all over the United States and recorded a CD in Nashville under the

name Karen Green. For three years, she toured with the Boxtops,

a group best known for the song "The Letter.""I wasn't one of the

original members," she said. She now supports herself through her

art, as well as teaching voice. Wallo said she has a gut feeling 2008

will be her year.

Artist Karen Wallo sits in her Summerlin home,

where she paints in mixed media.

Photos be Louie Traub/View

Commissions available upon request.

RADIO

Karen was interviewed live by Sheldon Baker on the internet television station, centralvalleytalk.com in

Fresno, California. She was a special guest on "Baker in the City," from 1-2PM PST on March 23, 2010.

She spoke about her art, music and animal rights work. The interview was 45 minutes long and will be airing

again.

On 3/4/2010 Karen was interviewed live on “The Wake Up Show” at xradio.biz. She spoke about her

art, music and animal rights work.

Karen was interviewed on 91.5 FM, KUNV radio in December 2007 and March 2008. She spoke candidly

about her beginnings as a artist, her techniques and what inspires her to create such unique works of art.