Kathy Kreager is from Holland, Michigan. Her father was a craftsman, so creating with her hands was always a part of her life. After earning her BA from Michigan State University, she obtained her MA in Social Work from the University of Minnesota, and worked for over 20 years as a counselor. During that time she discovered a passion for working with metal when taking a class through the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. In 2006, she was awarded the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation Emerging Artist grant by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, and by then was also working with glass, as well as blacksmithing, which gave her the added passion for shaping metal. Perhaps it was a mid life ‘crisis’ or maybe it was love, but soon after she began working as a full time artist.