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Rising Stars: Meet Katie Ross of Bloomington, MN

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Ross

Hi Katie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Less than two years ago, my family encouraged me to pursue my dream of creating a space where people could come together and create. I’ve always been a lifelong learner, studying Engineering, Art, Education, and even Hotel and Restaurant Management—building on my first career in the service industry. Over time, I created a unique role for myself: an “Art Tender,” much like a bartender, but for creativity.
After 10 years in art education and working in the service industry after hours, I realized that schools weren’t the right fit for sharing my passion. I wanted to combine art education with storytelling and a welcoming environment.
Growing up, I had a deep love for the arts—excelling in dance and piano—but access to creative opportunities was often out of reach. Like many, I prioritized sports, part-time work, and a “practical” career path, following the status quo. Now, decades later, I’m on a journey of rediscovery, embracing my gifts and finding my place in the community.
One of my strengths has always been resourcefulness—showing up for business trainings, networking, and saying yes to new opportunities. This year alone, I’ve:
  • Secured partnerships for events at two local breweries.
  • Hosted over 20 private parties.
  • Led an art night at a local art school in Bloomington.
  • Made it to the Top 10 in the first-ever Hatch Bloomington $100K contest.
  • Co-hosted Bloomington’s first-ever Street Arts Festival, featuring over 20 local artists, llamas, food trucks, and even an arcade powered by a Tesla truck—courtesy of a neighbor I met the day of the festival!
  • Curated five pop-up community creative placemaking events in collaboration with Forecast Public Art and Bloomington’s Creative Placemaking Committee.
  • Joined the city’s positioning and branding committee as a small business representative.
  • Hosted summer camps with about 8–10 guest artists, offering everything from fake fighting to Japanese SAORI weaving.
  • Consulted with The WORKS in Bloomington on the visual impact of their next installation.
The list goes on, but there’s still so much I need help with. I recently wrapped up four weekends at the inaugural “Santa Claus Lane” in Excelsior, MN, where I created a community art installation and led a handmade ceramic ornament painting workshop.
One of my favorite events this year was an art experience for engineers at Donaldson in Bloomington, hosted at 9 Mile Brewing. It featured local chef Thao Pham’s catering and was captured on video by local producer Mike Ross—pure Bloomington love.
Of course, there have been challenges—marketing, website design, booking, and filling classes. Some days, it’s hard to measure success. But there have been bright spots: I earned a $3K grant through the St. Thomas Entrepreneur program and was invited to speak at another cohort class. The same thing happened with CEO Start—I completed their course and was later asked to return as a guest speaker. I was also featured in a video series with Elevate Hennepin, highlighting small businesses that have benefited from their services, including a $1,500 technology grant for my studio.
It’s been a wild ride, but I’m grateful for every opportunity to bring creativity into the community!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

One thing that has helped tremendously is access to dedicated and talented people through Elevate Hennepin. Their support and resources for small businesses have made a big difference. But not everything has been smooth.
My website has been a major challenge. I started with GoDaddy, managing everything myself, then explored different options to transition my technology to better fit my business. It’s cost me a lot—money, time, and energy. I eventually realized that, no matter how much I resisted learning the tech side, I had to be as hands-on as possible. At the end of the day, I’m the one running everything.
Finding help has also been a struggle. We’re coming out of a time when people have learned their worth, and the cost of living is higher than ever. That makes it difficult to find affordable help. Staying cash-positive has been a major goal, but without taking an income yet, it’s tough to determine how to fairly value part-time work at higher rates.
The hardest struggle, though, has been finding time for self-care and creative fulfillment. This business journey has shown me how my skills have prepared me for this in theory, but it’s also made me realize how often I’ve neglected my own inner artist. Add in the daily questions—Can I do this? Should I do this? Is it worth it?—and, well, it hasn’t exactly been easy.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I love making things with my hands—gardening, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, painting. Lately, I’ve been leaning heavily into my artistic side, realizing we’re in the midst of a creative renaissance. Welcoming people into the studio at an entry level has been eye-opening—not just for them, but for me. It’s given them a newfound respect for the artistic process and the perseverance it takes to create something beautiful.
The pottery wheel, in particular, brings together everything I love: earth, technology, resourcefulness, challenges, beauty, and sharing. Recently, I had a breakthrough—I could outsource my biggest hurdle with pottery: choosing colors and selling finished pieces. Instead, I invite people to paint my pottery! Now, I can throw as many pots as I want and share the joy of glazing with clients who have already purchased a piece. Genius-level upgrade!
But the moment that truly solidified my identity as an artist happened with a glass vase. A business advisor-turned-friend, who visited the art festival this summer, saw it in my studio. I had spent over three or four years creating a Starry Night mosaic on a dimensional glass vase, using tiny pieces of stained glass. Sometimes, just for fun, I’d put an outrageous price tag on it—because you never know!
She kept mentioning it to me afterward, and then one day, she actually bought it—for $2,000.
This was someone who had guided me through finances, funding, and business decisions. And yet, she also saw me as an artist. Not just an artist, but one whose work was worth $2,000.
Over the past year and a half, it’s been through the eyes of people like her that I’ve truly come to own that title—I AM an artist.

How do you think about happiness?

Sunshine makes me happy—I love seeing all the colors, patterns, and textures in the world.
Gardening makes me happy—I love the feel of dirt in my hands.
Going into the studio makes me happy. It’s not always easy to get there, but once I’m there, I feel at home.
Watching people learn something new—and being part of that process—makes me happy.
Making great sourdough focaccia makes me happy. Even better, it makes my family happy.
Cooking for others and seeing them truly enjoy it fills me with joy.
Sharing anything I’ve created with people who love it—that’s one of the best feelings.
They say the opposite of depression isn’t happiness, it’s belonging. And in this journey, I’m finding my place—while welcoming others to find theirs, too.

Pricing:

  • Private Parties starting at $360
  • Walk-in Art Kits $25-$50
  • $80/month Membership
  • Summer Camps $170-$200/week
  • Art work on commission

Contact Info:

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