In his jewelry work, North Carolina’s Matthew Smith draws on his background in graphic design and his appreciation of mid-century modern style. Artist: Born and raised in Columbus, OH, Smith graduated with a BFA from Wake Forest University, where he focused on printmaking and sculpture. For 20 years, he worked as a freelance graphic designer, but…
North Carolina ceramic sculptor Karli Pendergraft makes soft organic forms and vessels with abstracted elements from the natural world. Artist: The North Carolina native was born and grew up in Raleigh. In 2018, she received her BFA in studio art from Appalachian State University in Boone. Soon after graduation, she moved to Asheville. Studio: Since…
To construct her elegant and intricate works, North Carolina weaver Patti Quinn Hill uses traditional basketry techniques and a non-traditional material: painted archival paper. Artist: Born in New Orleans, Hill grew up in nearby Metairie, where her mother and grandmother taught her needlework and sewing skills. Company/studio: Patti Quinn Hill is based in Weaverville, NC. The artist,…
Asheville porcelain artist Laura Peery textures and cuts simple shapes to create her one-of-a kind figures, teapots and vessels. Artist: Born and raised in Washington, DC, Peery took her first ceramics course at Ohio Wesleyan University. After graduation, she was an apprentice to a potter for one year before enrolling in the MFA program at…
North Carolina jewelry designer Emily Rogstad translates architectural details and everyday objects into wearable pieces. Artist: Born and raised in East Calais, VT, Rogstad got her start working with metal in the eighth grade at her public high school, which had a metals and jewelry studio. From there, she was hooked. Rogstad went to Maine College…
North Carolina’s Valerie Berlage likes to think that her colorful and playful art is like quilting with wood. Artist: Born and raised in the Asheville area, Berlage graduated with a BFA with a concentration in mixed media printmaking from University of North Carolina Asheville. After graduating in 2003, she returned to UNC-Asheville two years later…
In her wood designs, North Carolina-based artist Morgan Hill grapples with the dark – and celebrates the lighter side — of life and her evolving identity. Artist: Born and raised in Arkansas, Hill studied fine art and interior design at two different colleges before earning a BFA in Woodworking and Furniture Design from the University…
North Carolina jewelry artist Jason Janow describes his rustic yet refined designs as “precisely natural.” ™ Artist: Growing up in Amherst, VA, Janow loved the outdoors and took an early interest in jewelry. Later, at age 30, he made a career change and enrolled in Haywood Community College in Clyde, NC, where he earned a degree…
With organic shapes, surface decoration and adornments, such as fish hooks and hand-cut metal, North Carolina ceramic artist Isys Hennigar explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, particularly that of Appalachia. Artist: Grew up near Asheville and earned a BFA Studio Art from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2017. In…
North Carolina sculptor and designer Tom Haney creates a modern offshoot of the time-honored, Old World tradition of automata. The artist: Born in Cincinnati, Haney grew up in a large creative family, and earned a degree in industrial design from the University of Cincinnati. Before he became a full-time artist in 2000, Haney made props,…