New Orleans jewelry designer Emily Zawislak uses traditional metalsmithing techniques to make striking, minimalist pieces, integrating faceted gemstones and the elegant luster of gold accents. Artist: Born in Houston, Zawislak’s family moved around the country many times before they settled in New Orleans when she was a teenager. After high school, she went to the…
After starting a career in industrial design, Keavy Murphree migrated back to her first love: ceramics. The Nashville artist now makes decorative and functional clay works that are equal parts minimal and modern. Artist: Born in Chicago and raised north of the city, Murphree moved to Cape Coral, FL, halfway through high school. She headed back…
Using an intricate random weave process, Raleigh’s Anne Storie Willson works with reed and other natural materials to create sculptural weavings of dresses, nests and pods. Artist: Born on a coastal sound near Wilmington, NC, Willson grew up and lived in Greensboro for many years. She earned three BA’s: communications, museum studies and art history…
Influenced by Neolithic stone forms, South Carolina artist Roger Halligan uses a variety of materials to create his freestanding and wall mounted sculptures. Artist: Born in Troy, NY, Halligan grew up in the Hudson River Valley. He received a BA in economics from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, and after graduation began taking art courses…
Using emerging technologies and traditional sculptural practices, Atlanta artist Justin Archer creates his figurative wood sculptures with a pixelated effect. Artist: Originally from Denton, TX, Archer received his MFA in 2016 from the University of North Texas. In addition to creating his work, Archer teaches at SCAD Atlanta. Company/studio: Justin W. Archer has been based…
In South Carolina, self-taught sculptor Nadia Stieglitz says her abstract ceramic forms explore the intersection of art and nature, using themes of femininity, topography, dance and spatial philosophy. Artist: Born in France and raised in the Alps, Stieglitz has degrees in economics, languages and marketing. She lived and worked in Paris, then London for five…
Nashville textile artist Emily Brown uses leather to craft her modern, puzzle-like wall art. Artist: Born in Birmingham, AL, but grew up mainly in Chicago, IL. At age 13, Brown began working with leather textiles and crafted her first leather handbag. In high school, she participated in fashion classes and competitions. Despite an interest in art,…
On his 12-acre property in South Carolina, Kent Ambler finds endless inspiration for his nature-based woodcuts. Artist: Born in northwest Indiana about 25 miles outside of Chicago. As a kid, Ambler moved around a lot (seven times between first and twelfth grade), mostly in northwest Indiana. At Ball State University (IN), he was introduced to printmaking…
North Carolina native Tara Locklear designs geometric and playful jewelry using broken and discarded skateboards. Artist: A North Carolina native, Locklear was born and raised in Fayetteville. After high school, she headed to East Carolina University (ECU), but left to go to work. Locklear spent 11 years in the corporate world of event planning and…
Feeling nostalgic for your old Game Boy, JVC-M90 boombox or 1984 Mac computer? Jenny Henley can help. The Atlanta-based mixed-media artist combines photography, painting and imagery from popular American culture to create her unique works. Artist: Henley grew up in Jacksonville, FL, in a family supportive of the arts. At her high school for the…