Macie Rollins likes to take textiles somewhere unexpected.
Using hand-tufting and other fiber techniques, the Virginia artist pushes beyond the expected wall and floor formats to create work that can be sculptural, functional, illuminated — or something in between.
“A lot of my work starts from something that might traditionally belong to one category and ends up somewhere completely different,” said Rollins.
Artist: Rollins was born in Newport News, VA, and grew up in Poquoson, a small marsh town on the Virginia Peninsula. The youngest of four girls, Rollins was surrounded by creativity and craftsmanship family. Her great-grandfather and grandfather built wooden deadrise boats in Poquoson. Her mother was artistic and a avid collector.
Throughout her school years, Rollins took art classes and in college at Old Dominion University, she graduated with a BFA in painting and drawing in 2024. But it wasn’t until her last semester of college that she started working with fiber.
In addition to her art practice, Rollins works full-time for a construction company specializing in historic and commercial renovations.
Company/studio: Macie Rollins Art is based in Virginia Beach, VA. Rollins has a home studio, but uses her garage as a space for tufting,
She also has a room upstairs for painting and photographing her completed work.
“I love people’s reactions when they see my space,” said Rollins. “There’s carpet everywhere and unique, one-of-a-kind things everywhere.
“I consider myself a bit of a collector and am always scrolling estate sales and eBay for cool unique things to add to my space or be inspired by.”
Art & materials: Primarily, hand-tufted textiles, designed and used in multimedia installations, purses and furniture.
- Small works, under $50.
- Medium works, mixed-media pieces, plush and tufted bags and purses ($100 to $500).
- Freestanding fiber sculptures and large installations ($7,000 to $9,000).
Materials include yarn, fabric, acrylic, wood, LED lighting, found materials and sculptural framework.
“I get especially inspired by materials themselves,” said Rollins. “I like seeing potential in overlooked materials and using them as the basis for something new.”
Her first illuminated fiber wall sculpture was make out of a wood shipping pallet that Rollins altered and made wall mountable.
Another light sculpture, called jellybean stoplight, was made out of a stackable set of metal bathroom baskets.
Themes:
- Experimentation.
- Shape, form and gesture.
- Anatomy and anatomical forms.
- Bold color.
- Unconventional materials.
- Multisensory experiences.
- Abstraction.
- Playfulness and humor.
- Femininity and “girly” elements.
- Unexpected uses of familiar materials.
Must-have tools:
- Duckbill scissors.
- Color wheel.
- 24 X 36 newsprint for stenciling/sizing.
- Masking tape.
- E6000 industrial strength adhesive.
- Industrial hot glue and gun.
- Colored acrylic Plexiglas sheets.
- Tape measure.
- Sketchbook, pencil and eraser.
- Sharpies and Posca markers.
Inspirations:
- Artists: Karim Rashid (her favorite), Luon St. Pierre, Henri Matisse, Judy Pfaff, Frank Lloyd Wright, Peter Saul, Frank Stella and Peter Halley.
- Art Deco.
- Space Age design.
- MCM, architecture, shape and materials.
- Art and design books from her mom’s giant book collection.
Recent honors:
- By-Hand: Contemporary Craft exhibit at the Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center, Hampton, VA. 2026.
- Selected as one of 10 creatives for the Coastal Virginia Craft Invitational fall exhibition at the Suffolk Art Gallery, Suffolk, VA. 2025.
- Invited to participate in a weekend feature with FiberArtNow, a publication dedicated to contemporary fiber artists and textile creators worldwide. Her feature was published in August 2026.
Recent project: “Lady Lagoon,” an illuminated fiber wall sculpture, with a base that is a metal bin she wired with lighting.
“Lady Lagoon herself is almost like a deity of the lagoon,” said Rollins. “She is a stylized side profile, with a surfboard as her cheek.”
“The areas of shiny acrylic illuminate when the sculpture is turned on, which makes her feel like she comes alive.”
What’s next:
- ODU Alumni Exhibition, January 2027.
- A large, 36 X 48 textile on wood panel of a design that originated in her sketchbook.
- A new selection of Wall Buddies, an ongoing side project of collectible mini-fiber sculptures on wood that have one leg and one arm each.
- Working on a few wearable art/fiber fashion projects as an extension of her hand-tufted bags.
Where to buy:
- Artist’s website: macierollinsart.com.
Connect:
- Instagram: @macierollinsart
- Email: macierollins8@gmail.com
