Beginnings in Art and Sculpture
My name is Katie Crowley-Dean and I’m an artist and taxidermist. I live in beautiful Duluth, MN, nestled between Lake Superior and the north woods. I have a BA in Art with an emphasis in sculpture from Minnesota State University Moorhead. During a model making internship with the Smithsonian, I worked on displays in the National Museum of Natural History and other Smithsonian museums. I also craft gut strings for instruments such as violins, but my core passions are taxidermy, painting, and sculpture.
Trained Taxidermist
In addition to creating artwork, I focus on game head and life size mammal mounts and am happy to meet your taxidermy needs in these areas. I completed game head and small mammal mounting courses at The American Institute of Taxidermy and trained on deer heads with the talented Jim Willard. I’m also a member of the Minnesota Taxidermy Guild, Wisconsin Taxidermists Association, and United Taxidermists Association. For me, taxidermy is about preserving the beauty of an animal, and I’m passionate about doing that from the overall impression and personality down to the small details. Each mount is a work of art, from a simple, rustic antler mount to a complex, full body mount with habitat.
Inspiration
All of my work is inspired by nature, and I spend time studying north woods flora, fauna, and landscapes to ensure that my depictions of them are accurate. If I’m not working in my shop, you will probably find me somewhere out in the woods peering at plants, looking for wildlife, or just enjoying the scenery.