Atlanta metalsmith Debra Lynn Gold views jewelry as a three-dimensional art form that is meant to express both the maker – and the wearer. Artist: Born and grew up in Chicago. She graduated from Indiana University with a BA distinction in psychology and an MFA in jewelry design and silversmithing. She moved to Atlanta in…
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…
In her multi-media art and installations, Elyse Defoor explores a variety of contemporary themes. In one popular series, the Atlanta artist uses women’s swimsuits as a symbol for our culture’s obsession with outward appearances. In another, Defoor photographs knives and bullet shells to reflect our fascination with objects that can both protect and destroy. No…
North Carolina’s Summer Merritt blends geometric shapes and organic forms in her modern wood jewelry, blurring the line between art and fashion. Artist: Born in La Mirada, CA, Merritt moved to Olympia, WA when she was 10. After high school, she moved back to Los Angeles area to attend college. She graduated with a BFA in…
Over her 30-plus years as a mixed media artist in Virginia, Frankie Slaughter has challenged herself to create art in various mediums. From intensely colorful paintings and porcelain panels to oversized sculptures and hand-sewn textiles. Artist: Born in Lynchburg, VA, Slaughter grew up with artistic parents. Her mom practiced modern dance and later taught art…
Brittan Blasdel uses natural and repurposed man-made materials to make something new. The South Carolina mixed media artist calls her work “elemental excavation.” Artist: Born in Kansas City, MO, Blasdel grew up there and in Rochester, NY. She earned a BFA in photography from the University of Michigan in 1992. Since graduating, she has exhibited…
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…