Kaminer Haislip wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she creates stunning silver spoons and more in her South Carolina studio. The artist: Haislip grew up in Aiken, SC, and worked in high school at her family’s True Value hardware and appliance store, cutting keys and working around lots of tools and…
When Virginia’s Liz Hanson couldn’t find jewelry she wanted to wear, she came up with her own minimal and modern designs. The artist: Born in Norfolk, VA, Hanson grew up in Charlottesville, where she still lives. She earned a BA in art history from Ithaca College (NY) and continues to perfect her metalsmithing and fine…
In her polished and playful jewelry work, Florida’s Samantha Freeman strives to push the boundaries of design, materials and technique. The artist: Born in England, Freeman moved with her parents to Ohio at age nine. In high school art classes, she started making jewelry and small sculptures. She earned a BFA from Parsons School of…
The Delta landscape often influences the blown, cast and fused sculptures of noted Alabama glass artist Rene Culler. The artist: Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Culler began to work in glass in high school, learning how to sandblast. At the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she earned a BFA in glass, Culler learned about color and form,…
In her striking and sculptural jewelry designs, Baltimore native Shana Kroiz blends metalsmithing and experimental enamel techniques. The artist: A Baltimore native, Kroiz started creating art in high school at the Baltimore School for the Arts. She later earned a BFA from Parsons School of Design and an MFA from Towson University, where she studied jewelry.…
In Asheville, dancer turned jewelry designer Laura Wood thoughtfully engineers her sculptural work to fit and flatter the body. The artist: Born in Milledgeville, GA, Wood earned a BFA in jewelry at the University of Georgia and later an MFA in metal design from East Carolina University (ECU). She has lived and worked as a…
In his carved wood jewelry, Louisiana’s Daniel DiCaprio hopes to create biological forms, like orchids, that are weird yet beautiful. The artist: Born in Albany, DiCaprio grew up in the Hudson River Valley of upstate New York. He graduated with a degree in art education from Nazareth College in Rochester, NY, and later earned his…
In her contemporary jewelry designs, Virginia native Austin Titus is influenced by old world textures and details. The company/studio: Austin Titus Studio, based in Richmond, started in 2005. The artist has a private studio in an old Victorian house with tall windows and great light in the historic neighborhood of Church Hill. The artist: The…
Texas jewelry designer and metalsmith Dawna Gillespie describes her art as sculptural and soulful. The artist: Gillespie grew up in Fort Worth and graduated with a BFA from Texas Tech University. At college, she first focused on acrylic painting. Then Gillespie took a metalsmithing class, and never looked back. The company/studio: Dawna Gillespie Adornments, started…
In his surreal metal work, South Carolina native Logan Woodle pays homage to the culture of the agrarian South. The artist: Born in Conway, SC, Woodle grew up playing on his family’s farm. He is the sixth generation to be raised on this land, which has shaped much of his career and life. Introduced to…