In her vividly colorful and structured geometric compositions, Georgia-based artist Helen Ziga strives to give visual form to thought. Artist: Born and raised in Warrington, PA, a Philadelphia suburb, Ziga graduated with a BA in art from Albright College (PA) and earned an MFA in Art from Ohio University. Ziga said she had an incredible formal…
Shaped by his Alabama roots, Atlanta-based photographer Jerry Siegel uses his camera to tell stories of the ever-changing South through its landscapes, culture and people. Artist: Born and raised in Selma, Siegel attended the University of South Alabama in Mobile and later graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta. He worked for five years with…
Whether creating porcelain cherry blossoms, wall installations or other figurative and abstract works, Maryland’s Laurel Lukaszewski is always looking for ways to push clay and explore what the material can do. Artist: Born in Kansas City, MO, Lukaszewski lived in Charleston, SC, until elementary school. Her family then moved to the West Coast, first California…
Stephanie Henderson uses simple geometric forms and playful color combinations in her abstract paintings. The Atlanta-based painter says that her art is about color and how colors speak to each other – and affect you. Artist: The Georgia native grew up in Thomasville. She graduated with a BA in English literature from the University of Virginia…
Francesca Vitali is a modern-day alchemist. The Texas-based designer, who started her career as a chemist, turns everyday papers into jewelry that is both modern and special. Artist: Grew up in Rome, Italy, where she earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in chemistry. She left home to pursue her PhD at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.…
In her North Carolina studio, Dori Settles draws on a French casting technique to craft glass shoes that range from baby shoes and boots to stilettos and sneakers – each one often accompanied by a personal back story. Artist: Born in Milwaukee, Settles grew up in southeast Wisconsin. She moved to Nebraska to attend the University…
Harry Underwood, a self-taught painter in Tennessee, creates scenes of everyday people on vacation or enjoying themselves in his nostalgic, outsider-style works. “My paintings look like postcards from a better world” said the soft-spoken artist. “But if you read them, you find more depth than that. “I think that people dream of wealth and identify…
Maryland’s Karen Wallace creates abstract, kiln-formed glass vessels and wall hangings with rich colors, sharp geometric lines and complex designs. Artist: Born in Danbury, CT, Wallace grew up in Columbia, MD, in the house where she now lives. She graduated with a BS in computer science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and had…
Raised in a Chinese family in Hong Kong, Richmond-based artist Vivian Chiu explores themes of migration, identity and transformation in her abstract and optical wood sculptures. Artist: Born in Los Angeles, Chiu emigrated to Hong Kong when she was three years old. Chiu lived there with her extended family until she returned to the United…
Debe Dohrer says her jewelry line is not for the meek. “It’s unapologetic, attention-worthy jewelry,” said the Nashville designer. “And it always makes a statement.” Artist: Born in Salt Lake City, UT, Dohrer moved to Scottsdale AZ, when she was 10. Dohrer graduated from Arizona State University, where she studied art and merchandising. After college,…