Kari Copland was born on October 3, 1946 in Cut Bank, Montana. She graduated from Sunburst High School and went to the University of Montana where she majored in Art. At the Denver Art Students League she was accepted for a one year Professional Studies with Quang Ho. She painted with many of the instructors for over five years. Kari has been a fulltime artist for over fourteen years.

Her juried shows and invitationals have included:

Toucan Gallery Small Works Show; Billings, Montana; 2008
Yellowstone Art Museum Invitational; Billings, Montana; 2007
Frame Hut Gallery Invitational; Billings, Montana; 2007
Toucan Gallery Post Card Show; Billings, Montana; 2005
Patron Gallery Invitational; Denver, Colorado; 2004
Oil Painters of America West/ Southwest Mountain Regional; July, 2003.
Greenhouse Gallery's Salon International, "Jury's Top 50;" May, 2003.
Greenhouse Gallery's Salon International; May, 2002.
Patron Gallery's Grand Opening, 2002.
Merrill-Johnson Gallery's July Invitational; July, 2001.
Third Canyon Gallery's Raising The Curtain; July, 2000.
Abend Gallery's Christmas Miniatures; December, 1999.
Abend Gallery's International Invitational; August, 1999.

She was featured in the Start Your Collection section of Southwest Art, December 2001.