Growing up, Windell Dobson was drawn to art and athletics and pursued both in college. The Atlanta multi-media artist feels the discipline and spirit of his athletic past help shape his abstract and layered creations today. The artist: Born in Jamaica, Dobson was raised in an environment where art and athletics were twin passions. He…
Keith Holt spent 17 years running a gymnastics center in Maryland before he turned to art. The experience in the gym strongly influenced his wood forms and sculptures. Artist: Grew up close to where he lives now in Forest Hill, MD. In school, Holt took art classes every year and had a teacher who took an…
Atlanta ceramist Jennifer Diaz strives to make sculptural work that echoes nature, not imitates it. Artist: Born and raised in San Diego, CA, Diaz graduated with a BA in literature and psychology from University of California at San Diego. While she has no formal art training, Diaz has taken various art classes over the years…
Historical architecture, industrialism and haute couture influence the bold jewelry designs of North Carolina metalsmith Jill Melyssa. Artist: Born in Bogota, Colombia, Melyssa was raised in New York. She earned a BA from the University of Albany and an MBA from Empire State University. After college, she worked in various managerial positions in New York…
In her abstract, color-interactive work, Mary Zio occasionally suggests a subject. But more frequently, the North Carolina artist wants her paintings to be open to the viewer’s interpretation. Artist: Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Zio said there was never a time that she wasn’t exploring or making art. She graduated from SUNY Purchase in…
From a distance, the unique art of Evan Stoler comes together to form intricate textures and patterns. But look closer. The materials the Atlanta artist uses to create his work might surprise you. Artist: Stoler grew up in Omaha, NE, and first found an interest in art in a high school ceramics class. At Denison University…
Kentucky native Emily Ridings says her fashion training helped refine her eye for silhouette, proportion and storytelling: Qualities that now define her basketry. Artist: The Kentucky native grew up in Richmond in a creative family. Judy Ridings, her grandmother, is a master basket weaver who lived nearby. Ridings’ mother is a talented seamstress. By age…
Georgia’s Mitchell Biggio utilizes digital and traditional techniques with simple materials to produce his visually clean and modular wall sculpture. Artist: Growing up in Marblehead, MA, Biggio was always interested in art and building things. In high school, he wanted to be an architect. Biggio started at the Savannah College of Art and Design as…
Daniel Lai transforms discarded books into narrative wall sculptures that explore various themes – from humor to social issues – in everyday life. Artist: Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Lai came to the United States in 2000 to attend college. He earned a BA in linguistics and an MA in art history from…
Using both figurative and botanical elements, Raleigh artist Holly Fischer explores the dualities inherent in beauty and femininity in her abstracted white clay works. Artist: Born in Missoula, MT, Fischer grew up with artistic parents who helped foster her early creativity. When she was four years old, Fischer’s family moved from Montana to Boone, NC, where…