Georgia-based Marco Bogazzi designs and fabricates solid hardwood furniture with clean, modern lines. The artist: Born and raised in New Jersey by Italian immigrants, Bogazzi earned an undergraduate and graduate degrees in industrial design from the Pratt Institute School of Art and Design (NY). After college, he worked in the corporate world, designing products for…
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…
As a former flight attendant, Birmingham’s Kay Vinson frequently flew to Japan and other parts of Asia. Her years of travel, and interest in Eastern culture, influence her abstract paintings. The artist: Though her family moved frequently when she was a child, Vinson considers Birmingham home. After high school, she attended University of Alabama, but…
Laritza Garcia is mad about metal. And it shows in her colorful contemporary jewelry. The artist: Originally from the border area of Reynosa, Mexico and McAllen, TX, Garcia earned a BFA from Texas State University (TSU) in 2008. She is also a graduate of East Carolina University, where she received her MFA degree in 2012.…
In her contemporary jewelry designs, Maryland’s Tracey Beale adds meaning and tells a story. The artist: A Baltimore native, Beale graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she studied fine arts and literature. A few years after graduating, she took a metalsmithing class at MICA and worked for a time with Stephen Page,…
For the past 35 years North Carolina sculptor and painter Mary-Ann Prack has captured the essence of what it is to be human in her figurative clay works. On the surface her sculptures are colorful, sensuous and precise. She believes experiencing them reveals the spirit, energy and joy in which they were created. The artist:…
Atlanta artist Jeffrey Wilcox Paclipan transforms recycled puzzle pieces and paper into abstract sculpture and wall art — works that draw you in for a closer look. The artist: Born in Balibago, Philippines, Paclipan grew up in an Air Force family who relocated extensively throughout his young adult life. He earned an AA degree in commercial…
Utilizing a variety of mediums, including wood, plastics and found materials, Houston-based sculptor and designer Joyce Lin often deconstructs traditional furniture forms and materials to explore the ever-shifting relationship between humans and their environment. The artist: Born in Durham, Lin grew up in Birmingham, where she attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where she…
Emily Kuchenbecker set out to be a painter. But in college, a class in glass set her on a new artistic path. The artist: Born in Madison, WI, Kuchenbecker received her BFA from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point (UWSP) in 2016 and her MFA from the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2019. She has…
In her colorful silhouettes, Atlanta’s Tracy Murrell celebrates the beauty and grace of the female form. The artist: Born in Mobile, AL, she moved with her family to Spain for five years when her father was in the Air Force. After that, the family settled in Biloxi, MS. ` At Centenary College in Shreveport, LA., Murrell…