Karen Graffeo

Karen Graffeo is an American artist based in Birmingham, Alabama. While specializing in photography, Graffeo is also a choreographer and installation artist. Early in her photography career, she worked as Jerry Uelsmann's assistant and model. She earned an undergraduate degree from Jacksonville State University and a Master of Arts in art education from the University of Alabama, where she also earned MFA degrees in photography and painting. She has taught at the University of Montevallo since 1990 and has also taught at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Graffeo is a founding member of Stare Studio along with Virginia Scruggs and Melissa Springer. From 1992 and until 2000, Graffeo was represented by Agnes in Birmingham, Alabama.

"UpSouth" organized by Anne Arrasmith of Space One Eleven traveled to several venues across Birmingham, including Space One Eleven, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Visual Arts Gallery, and Agnes. It showed the work of artists Emma Amos and Willie Birch and writer bell hooks, as well as Ann Benton, Priscilla Hancock Cooper, Karen Graffeo, Lee Isaacs, Janice Kluge, Mary Ann Sampson, J. M. Walker and Marie Weaver.