Karen L. Kessel is a self-employed artist and writer. She is primarily interested in Native North American art, ceramics and history. She spent the majority of her career working at Sonoma State University as a visual resources specialist from 1991 to 2016 and also taught a Native American survey course in 2004. 

Prior to joining Sonoma State, Ms. Kessel worked as a slide curator at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She also served as a ceramics instructor at College of Southern Nevada, as a museum preparator at California State University, East Bay, and as an instructor and gallery attendant for the Museum of the American Indian in Marin County. She was also a curriculum specialist for the Summer Education Institute from 2012 to 2015.

Ms. Kessel holds a Master of Arts in Native American art from Sonoma State University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramic sculpture from San Francisco Art Institute, and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from UC Davis. 

Her husband, Joseph Kessel, attended UC Berkeley where he played football. She joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2022.