About

Cate Brigden (b. Fort Belvoir, Virginia) is a visual artist currently based in Boise, Idaho. Her painting practice is rooted in a deep appreciation for observational drawing, which continues to inform her approach to image-making. She studied at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where she focused on painting, drawing, and printmaking through the Foundations of Visual Art and Design program.

Brigden’s work is known for its use of natural forms, layered motifs, and rich color palettes. She reimagines organic shapes into intricate patterns, creating a sense of transparency and movement. Her recent paintings draw influence from historical Japanese textile design, incorporating its principles of repetition, symmetry, and compositional harmony to explore the quiet complexities of the natural world.

Brigden has received recognition through a range of awards, grants, and artist residencies. She was a James Castle House Resident in 2023 and received an Alexa Rose Foundation Grant in 2022. She has twice been nominated for the Pacific Northwest Art Award by the Portland Art Museum (2007, 2014) and was nominated for the prestigious Louis Comfort Tiffany Award in 2008. Additional support includes a Quick Funds grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts (2002) and a fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center (1992).
Earlier in her career, Brigden served as Master Printer for the Pilchuck Print Program at the Pilchuck Glass School (1990–94), where she also worked as Printmaking Studio Assistant to artist Nancy Graves in 1992. She was an Artist in Residence with the Washington State Arts Commission from 1988 to 1989.

Her work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the City of Boise’s Visual Chronicle, the Washington Art Consortium, and the Washington State Arts Commission’s Art in Public Places program. Corporate collections include Albertsons Corporation, Regence Blue Shield of Idaho, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center, Perkins Coie LLP, Weyerhaeuser Corporation, Hyatt Regency Inc.