Sophie Kruger

Mixed Media, Textiles

AA, DMACC
BA, Central College
CAA instructor

Growing up, Sophie Kruger’s mother always pushed her to be creative. Being an artist herself, Kruger’s mother constantly had creative projects going on, such as decorating their home with DIY projects, jewelry making, or creating butterflies from discarded vinyl records. 

When Kruger started homeschooling, creative activities at home became even more abundant. In addition to the basic curriculum, her mother incorporated the arts in everyday lessons, such as recreating Renaissance art or learning the Chinese art of papermaking. 

For Sophie Kruger, her relationship with the CAA began when she was quite young. At that time, she didn’t fully realize the artist inside her, but she did believe in her creativity. And tapping into that, she participated in many classes here until she eventually grew away from it as she approached middle school age. Eventually, she decided to dual-enroll in Newton High School to pursue additional courses before entering college. There, she again fell in love with the arts.

In 2020, just as the pandemic began to interrupt plans, Kruger decided that rather than delay college, she switched gears and enrolled online at DMACC.

After graduation, she transferred to Central College in Pella, where she sought a degree in the arts. During her time there, she embraced the opportunity to become an intern at CAA. Here she felt at home both in the creative environment and with the other artists. Now she knew: in one way or another, she was going to be here for a while. 

As an artist, Kruger’s favorite medium is memory, which can come in many forms. Whether it be painting a portrait of a lost loved one, crafting a memorable moment, making sculptures from secondhand junk, or creating something from someone’s once-loved jewelry, she gets immense satisfaction from working with materials and subjects that have memories attached to them. 

A long-time Jasper County resident, Sophie lives in Newton with her husband, Anton Jakobus. They married in 2022. She graduated from Central College in 2024.