Jasmine Best tells stories in her textile and fiber art. Often, they are her own. Other times, they are family stories. But all give a platform to the varied experiences and identities of Black women in the South. Artist: Born in Jacksonville, NC, and grew up mostly in North Charleston, SC. Best earned a BFA in New…
Tennessee artist Lisa Norris cuts, layers and arranges paper from vintage sewing patterns to make her fashion-smart collages. Artist: The Chattanooga native grew up watching her father, a self-taught artist, drawing. She often sat for portraits. In high school, a teacher urged her to consider art school. After high school, Norris worked and built her…
Ancient folklore, festivals and customs inspire the masks, outfits and sculptures of Georgia artist Jym Davis. Artist: Grew up in Radford, VA. At Carson-Newman University in Tennessee, Davis studied drawing and painting. In 2003, he earned an MFA in video art from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He later taught part time at UNC Greensboro…
Richmond-based textile artist Hillary Waters Fayle began stitching and using leaves as a primary medium because she loved intricate needlework and was drawn to organic and natural materials. Artist: Born in Buffalo NY, Fayle earned a BFA from Buffalo State College and a MFA degree in Craft/Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). In addition…
Richmond-based textile designer Annabel Wrigley likes her color-happy, textured quilts to have a painterly quality. Artist: Born in Australia, Wrigley grew up in Sydney. In 2001, she moved to Virginia and earned a nursing degree. After her first child was born, Wrigley began sewing — initially just for fun, making children’s clothes and quilts. It…
Texas native Sarita Westurp is a contemporary basket weaver whose sculptural works are inspired by where she was born and grew up. Artist: Westrup grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and earned an MFA in fibers at the University of North Texas. Over the years, she has taken classes and served as studio assistant at several…
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…
South Carolina’s Susan Lenz uses found and otherwise everyday objects — from buttons and bottle caps to clock parts and curtain rings — in her layered, hand-stitched mixed-media art. The company/studio: Mouse House Inc., a custom picture framing shop in Columbia that Lenz and her husband Steve Dingman started in 1987. The couple live above…
Vicki Essig is known for her detailed and Zen-like handwoven mixed-media art. But in a recent, atypical work, the North Carolina artist used her own home-grown silkworms to make a dress, which sold to a collector. The artist: Born in Denver, the artist grew up in Colorado. She lived in Europe for four years before…
In her Memphis studio, Paula Kovarik uses thread and fabric to create art. The artist: The artist grew up in the Midwest, including Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan, and earned her BA in design from Southern Illinois University. After graduation, Kovarik moved to Memphis, where she had a graphic design practice for almost 30 years, specializing in…