kelly breedlove

Georgia native Kelly Breedlove is not a photographer, but he uses photo-based mixed media work to explore memories, emotions and relationships. The studio: Breedlove’s studio is in The Cotton Mill in Cabbagetown, an historic Atlanta neighborhood. The artist: Grew up in Covington, surrounded by a unique southern cowboy culture and inherited a love of snapshot…

maralyn wilson

Alabama sculptor Maralyn Wilson finds clay a medium full of magic, possibilities – and stories. Artist: Born in Birmingham, Wilson studied art at the University of Georgia with painter Lamar Dodd. She graduated with a BFA from Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans, where she studied with painter and sculptor Ida Kohlmeyer, the renowned Louisiana…

leslie wilson

In college, Atlanta fiber artist Leslie Wilson developed a unique process to create her silkscreened and embroidered designs. Artist: Born in Macon, Wilson graduated from Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) and later worked as a textile designer in the Georgia carpet Industry for Mohawk Industries and UK-based Ulster Carpets. A full-time artist, Wilson…

j. aaron alderman

North Carolina sculptor Aaron Alderman uses a technique he developed of drawing in space with round-stock steel. Artist: Alderman grew up in Brevard, NC, and still calls it home. After graduating from Brevard College, he went to work with his college sculpture professor, Tim Murray, as a teaching assistant. He also helped Murray produce a monumental…

bailey schmidt

  In Charlotte, Bailey Schmidt paints floral vases and tablescapes that are colorful, whimsical and graphic. The artist: Born in Michigan, Schmidt grew up in Charlotte, NC. Always artistic, she took classes over the years and started to pursue an art degree at college, but found it wasn’t the right fit. Schmidt moved around in her…

kiara pelissier

Richmond-based artist Kiara Pelissier has long been fascinated by the magical and transformative nature of glass. The artist: Born in Mexico, Pelissier grew up in Connecticut in a multi-generational family of artists. She later graduated with a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and earned an MFA in Craft and Material Studies at Virginia…

sun ah blair jewelry

A self-taught polymer clay artist, Baltimore’s Amy Blair designs playful, patterned jewelry inspired by her travels and a curiosity about different cultures. The artist: Born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted when she was three months old, Blair grew up in Baltimore. She studied jewelry and metals for a few years at Towson University before…

emily meisler

In her abstract ceramic, metal and plaster sculptures, Birmingham-based artist Emily Meisler is inspired by natural elements. The artist: Meisler grew up in Birmingham, and graduated from the College of Charleston in 2015 with degrees in psychology and studio art with a concentration in sculpture. After graduation, she took a year off before grad school and…

tom chambers

In his colorful tree-branch art, Georgia’s Tom Chambers brings the outdoors in. The artist: Chambers’ interest in art began in an Orlando high school, where his first art class was taught by his football and track team coach. At the University of Tampa, where he attended college on a football scholarship, Chambers studied sculpture, drawing…

jessica fields

From pink clouds to her glowy lemons, color is key in the landscape and still-life paintings of South Carolina’s Jessica Fields. The artist: Born in Louisiana, Fields was raised mostly in The Woodlands, TX. She headed north to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, where she graduated with a degree in painting. She returned…