Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kristina studied photojournalism at SF State but followed her love of rural communities, living and working in the Black Hills of western South Dakota for over a decade. She has documented news and communities for The New York Times, Mother Jones, Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harper’s and many others she’s incredibly grateful for. Early in her career, Kristina broke a 130-year run of men monopolizing the newsroom, becoming the first female staff photographer and later the first female photo editor at The Rapid City (S.D.)Journal. While Portland (Ore.) is now home, her favorite photos are made on the road across the Interior West. Kristina’s work as an independent artist focuses on the natural world, Alzheimer’s, grief, and mental health.

Guided by her introspective sense of place and belonging, Kristina is currently creating new art works around the idea of where our physical and non-physical worlds intertwine, exploring the bewildering experience of existing as a human. She plans to nurture her visual examination of themes around human consciousness reflected in nature through a unique, place-based exploration of the landscape. Kristina’s current practice is heavily influenced by the idea of memory and examining the state ofdreaming as a critical part of human life through observation of our shared natural environments. Thesupport of a month-long residency in such a place allows her to focus time and energy in a way that isnot easily supported in daily life as a self-employed freelance photojournalist