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Obituaries

Karin C. Nelson, Dedicated Albany Volunteer, Dies

Art enthusiast and community activist Karin Nelson is fondly remembered by friends, family, colleagues and people about town.

Karin Christine Nelson, a quintessential Albany volunteer who shared her passion for art with her children's schools and city government alike, passed away June 22 at the age of 64. 

A resident of Albany for two decades, Nelson volunteered at and to help students experience all sorts of artistic expression. She served on the , the and the Alameda County Public Art Advisory Committee. She helped create the gallery at the

So dedicated was Nelson to public service that the on Monday passed a resolution of gratitude for her.

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“Karin C. Nelson is celebrated for her outstanding dedication, generous service and leadership to Albany and the Bay Area community,” the resolution read.

“Through her life-long interest in and dedication to the arts, Karin C. Nelson has inspired the development of the arts, arts education and cultural programs through her work with the Albany Arts Committee, the Albany Waterfront Committee, the Albany Public Schools, and the Exhibition Program at the Albany Community Center,” it continued.

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Nelson is survived by her two daughters, Amalia and Katarina Nelson-Croner; her mother, Ingeborg Nelson; and her brother, Kenneth Nelson Jr.

She died from a cerebral hemorrhage caused by a burst aneurysm. The family said she died peacefully at California Pacific Medical Center.

Amalia described her mother as not only an admirable professional in museum arts and career counseling, but also “a brave world traveler with a passion for art, as well as a selfless mother, sister, daughter, and friend.”

Karin Christine Nelson was born April 8, 1947, in Salt Lake City, UT, the daughter of Kenneth and Ingeborg Nelson. She attended Occidental College in Southern California, pursuing studies in art history and sociology.

Upon graduation, she moved to New York and worked at The New School for Social Research. After a few years she decided to travel further and took off to explore Southeast Asia and Japan, where she settled a while to study traditional textile weaving and dyeing methods.

In her travels, she became fascinated with cultural crafts, a passion which led to a fulfilling career as a curator of folk art.

At the time of her death, Nelson was working on an upcoming exhibit for the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design. Since 1983 she had also been associated with the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, where she and friend Delphine Hirasuna first exhibited "The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps." 

Through their efforts, the hugely successful show has toured four museums, including the Smithsonian, and will travel across the United States and Japan.

Starting in 1994, Nelson also worked in the Career Development Department of City College of San Francisco.

"She was an extraordinarily talented career counselor who took pride in helping both the credit and non-credit students, alumni and community; and she was amazingly successful in assisting students and alumni in job placement," said Indiana Quadra, chair of the department at City College. "She was a generous and gifted person, not only to our students but to anyone who was fortunate enough to work with her. She will be missed tremendously."

Hirasuna, with whom Nelson developed the "Art of Gaman" exhibit said, “I came to really value her friendship because she was bright, caring, open to new adventures, knowledgeable on so many subjects and completely without guile. Her outgoing personality brought out the best in people.”

Former Albany Mayor  said, at Monday's City Council meeting, that Nelson "was a very gracious, kind lady and worked hard in the arts."

The environment and were among Nelson's passions. Not only did she serve on committees to preserve the waterfront, but she spent personal time cleaning it up.

"She had a very basic commitment to the waterfront. I would see her down there on a regular basis picking up trash, doing that as a volunteer," said , school board member and former mayor, who remains active on waterfront issues.

Chairwoman of the Arts Committee Peggy McQuaid said Nelson's “leadership and knowledge of art and its value to the local community will certainly be missed.” 

A memorial service for Karin Nelson will be held Sunday, Aug. 7, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, from 2-5 p.m.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com. 

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