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…
In her porcelain and gold leaf vessels, Florida native Deneece Harrell draws on the Japanese art of kintsugi. The artist: Born and raised in Lakeland, FL, Harrell earned a design degree from the School of Architecture at the University of Florida. Over her 35-year career, she has worked in corporate and residential interior design and taught…
Kaminer Haislip wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she creates stunning silver spoons and more in her South Carolina studio. The artist: Haislip grew up in Aiken, SC, and worked in high school at her family’s True Value hardware and appliance store, cutting keys and working around lots of tools and…
When Virginia’s Liz Hanson couldn’t find jewelry she wanted to wear, she came up with her own minimal and modern designs. The artist: Born in Norfolk, VA, Hanson grew up in Charlottesville, where she still lives. She earned a BA in art history from Ithaca College (NY) and continues to perfect her metalsmithing and fine…
In her Memphis studio, Paula Kovarik uses thread and fabric to create art. The artist: The artist grew up in the Midwest, including Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan, and earned her BA in design from Southern Illinois University. After graduation, Kovarik moved to Memphis, where she had a graphic design practice for almost 30 years, specializing in…
Adam Whitney has experience in many metalsmithing techniques, but the North Carolina artist is partial to raising: the craft of making hollow, three-dimensional forms from hammered sheets of metal. The artist: Whitney was born and raised in Rutland, VT. He earned his BFA in crafts/materials studies, with a focus on metalsmithing, from Virginia Commonwealth University.…
Atlanta’s Jaime Keiter collages individually handcrafted, painted and glazed tiles to create her ceramic sculptures. The artist: Born in Cleveland, OH, Keiter grew up in the Atlanta area and graduated from UGA with degree in art, focusing on photography. She moved to NYC for 15 years and worked as a magazine photo editor and art…
In her polished and playful jewelry work, Florida’s Samantha Freeman strives to push the boundaries of design, materials and technique. The artist: Born in England, Freeman moved with her parents to Ohio at age nine. In high school art classes, she started making jewelry and small sculptures. She earned a BFA from Parsons School of…
The Delta landscape often influences the blown, cast and fused sculptures of noted Alabama glass artist Rene Culler. The artist: Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Culler began to work in glass in high school, learning how to sandblast. At the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she earned a BFA in glass, Culler learned about color and form,…