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…
In her bright and graphic depictions of people in their everyday places and spaces, Charleston painter Kate Hooray Osmond celebrates community, connection and optimism. Artist: Osmond was born in Washington, DC, and grew up outside the city. She studied art at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and earned an MFA from Maryland Institute College…
After seeing an iconic chair on a museum stop, Nathaniel Newcomb realized that furniture could be sculpture. The Richmond sculptor and woodworker now designs 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 Oklahoma. He…
In an ongoing series of oil paintings, Kevin Palme portrays stacks of ice cubes in hyperrealist detail. Through his work, the Asheville artist continues to explore the idea of fragility and impermanence in an increasingly chaotic and frenetic world. Artist: Born in Morristown, NJ, Palme grew up in Long Valley, NJ. He attended Wake Forest…
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…