Kay Franz found a connection to clay in college. The Virginia artist hopes that, through her work, she can connect with you, too. Artist: Born and raised in Halifax County, VA, in a small rural community called Turbeville. She attended the University of Georgia (UGA), where she earned a BFA in ceramics. Company/studio: Clay & Green Tea,…
After years of creating practical and useful pieces, Virginia-based woodworker Sarah Grace Cheek is exploring more abstract and sculptural forms. Artist: The Virginia native was born and raised in Smithfield. Cheek felt lucky to attend the Governor’s School for the Arts while in high school. “This really solidified my trajectory and interest in pursuing a…
Over the last few years, Georgia’s Jason Matherly has found himself thinking of his colorfully shaped paintings as “brooches for walls.” Artist: Born in Danville, VA, Matherly grew up in Gastonia, NC, near Charlotte. He graduated with a BA in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned a master’s degree in…
After seeing an iconic chair on a museum stop, Nathaniel Newcomb realized that furniture could be sculpture. The Richmond sculptor and woodworker now designs and creates his own unique line of furniture that often features heavy or thick forms – and the occasional chainsaw marks. Artist: Born in Richmond, VA, Newcomb grew up in Texas and…
The pandemic changed lives. Those home-bound days also changed the art that Maryland’s Limor Dekel created. Artist: Born and raised in Israel, Dekel served as an officer in the Israeli military for two years. Afterward, she studied ceramic design at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. In 1984, she moved to the United States…
Atlanta multimedia artist Grace Kisa uses familiar and unconventional materials inspired by the Kenyan tradition of creating art with found objects. Artist: Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Kisa spent her early childhood there before moving with her family by virtue of her father’s job as a senior economist to Addis Ababa Ethiopia and later McLean, VA.…
North Carolina’s Tonya Thornton says there is always a fantastical nature to her puzzle-like collages and playful sculptures. Artist: Born in Niagara Falls, NY, her family moved to South Florida when she was five. After high school, she headed to Florida State University (FSU), where she graduated with a BFA in 1998. She left Florida…
From small works on nubby paper to ladder sculptures made with organic materials, Virginia’s Holland Williams draws on her quiet fascination with patterns and colors found in nature. Artist: Born in Charlottesville, VA, Williams spent her early years in Brussels and England before returning to Virginia. Her family preferred living in old homes, including a restored log…
Florida ceramist Debra Steidel makes elegant, multi-piece wall installations, inspired by organic shapes, textures and colors of the natural world. Artist: Grew up in Alexandria, VA, near her uncles, Al and Billy Steidel, major art and antique collectors. When she visited, they would show her their collections of antique bottes and crocks. Her Uncle Al…
Adrina Richard has been a longtime collector of pottery. She still is. But now the Atlanta ceramic artist hand builds her own, incorporating textures that reflect her Armenian heritage. Artist: Born in New York to parents who were immigrants and survivors of the Armenian genocide in Turkey. As a first-generation American, Richard grew up in…