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,…
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…
On walks, Cheryl Mackey Smith takes time to notice the seemingly endless patterns and random occurrences in nature. The North Carolina ceramics artist then transforms them into elegantly textured wall art. The artist: Born in Schenectady, Smith grew up in Scotia, NY, with parents who encouraged her interest in art. At age 17, she moved with…
In Asheville, dancer turned jewelry designer Laura Wood thoughtfully engineers her sculptural work to fit and flatter the body. The artist: Born in Milledgeville, GA, Wood earned a BFA in jewelry at the University of Georgia and later an MFA in metal design from East Carolina University (ECU). She has lived and worked as a…
North Carolina’s Angelique Tassistro makes festive dishes with fresh colors and designs that make everyday meals feel like a celebration. The artist: Tassistro grew up in Baton Rouge, LA, and received two BFA’s from Louisiana State University: One in photography, the other in ceramics. She moved to Asheville in 2003 to pursue ceramics. The company/studio:…
Using local woods, North Carolina’s Steve Miller carves, burns and carefully applies layers of nuanced colors to create his highly textured hollow vessels and sculptures. The artist: Born in Miami, Miller graduated from Florida International University and served 33 years with the Miami-Dade Police Department before retiring in 2007. In the beginning: Miller started woodturning…