For Jessica Beels, materials are more than a medium. They’re the starting point, and they often hold the message. Drawing on found objects and unexpected materials, the Kentucky artist creates sculptures and installations that invite viewers to reconsider their relationship with the objects they use, discard – and often overlook. Artist: Born in New York City,…
When Robyn Gibson first stepped into a boxing gym, she found more than a new workout. The Kentucky artist discovered a source of movement, confidence, and healing that now influences her charcoal drawings and ceramic sculptures. Through curvy, gestural female figures, Gibson explores the power of taking up space, a theme rooted in both her…
William Kolok calls himself an object maker. And a storyteller. “I am driven to sculpt as I have something to say that only I can say,” said the Kentucky artist. Artist: Born in Port Chester, NY, and grew up in Byram, CT, Kolok received a BA in art and art education from Berry College in Rome,…
Anna Gregory uses the inherent beauty of locally sourced woods in her functional and non-functional woodwork. “I have a desire to connect with the natural world through the lens of architectural form and structure,” said the Kentucky sculptor. Artist: Born in Georgetown, KY, Gregory went to the University of Kentucky. In 2008, she received a master’s…
In her bright, graphic and playfully ironic works, Kentucky painter Lori Larusso explores the cycle of consumption and waste in our consumer-driven world. Artist: Born in the little town of Massillon, in Ohio’s Rust Belt. Larusso lived there until she went to college. At the University of Cincinnati, she graduated with a BFA from the college…
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…
Although Steve Heine never practiced traditional architecture, the Kentucky native thinks of his modern, multi-layered artwork as architecture on a small scale. Artist: One of nine kids and the second-born of identical twins, Heine grew up in a loud, raucous house in Louisville. He later graduated from the University of Kentucky’s College of Architecture in…
Tennessee-based sculptor Kyle Cottier combines traditional textile and woodworking techniques in his mindful practice. Artist: Born and grew up in Louisville, KY. In a high school magnet program, Cottier began spending a lot of time in the art annex. Often, he was in in the darkroom developing film, or in the printmaking lab preparing silkscreens…
Stephen Dorsett makes sculptures of miniature landscapes from consumer waste. Then photographs them. The Kentucky native describes his work as a meditation on consumerism and the environment. Artist: Dorsett was born and grew up in Louisville, KY. He graduated in 1999 with a BA in studio art, with a focus on drawing, painting and sculpture,…
Douglas Miller’s drawings and paintings of wildlife may appear unfinished. But that is exactly the Kentucky artist’s style and intention. Artist: Born and grew up in a family of teachers in Evansville, IN, until he moved to Florida to attend Ringling College of Art for two years. In 2001, after a stint in Seattle, Miller…