As a graphic designer, Kathleen Grebe once created logos and ad campaigns. Now the North Carolina artist transforms flat sheets of material into modern and often meaningful jewelry. Artist: The North Carolina native grew up in Chapel Hill, NC. After earning a BFA in graphic design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), she…
In his North Carolina studio, Davis Choun uses painted and deconstructed wooden clothespins to create his highly patterned and textured works. Artist: The North Carolina native was born and grew up in Rutherfordton, NC. He went to North Carolina State University, where he earned a bachelor’s of art and design. Company/studio: Davis Choun, based in…
North Carolina’s Casey Engel works in ceramics, textiles and printmaking. She is proof an artist doesn’t have to choose one medium to express herself. Artist: Born and raised in Pensacola, FL, Engel earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015. After college, she worked in a commercial frame shop in…
In his jewelry work, North Carolina’s Matthew Smith draws on his background in graphic design and his appreciation of mid-century modern style. Artist: Born and raised in Columbus, OH, Smith graduated with a BFA from Wake Forest University, where he focused on printmaking and sculpture. For 20 years, he worked as a freelance graphic designer, but…
Using various colors, shapes and sizes, Charlotte’s Kirk Fanelly creates lively cut paper artworks that resemble paintings. Artist: The North Carolina native was born and grew up in Charlotte. Always a good student, Fanelly was innately good at drawing and observing detail. In college, he shifted from engineering to art and received a BA in…
In North Carolina, Ben Strear sculpts and carves wood sculptures that feature detailed patterns inspired by ancient artifacts and structures. Artist: Colorado native who was born and grew up in Longmont. He graduated with a BFA in furniture design from the Rhode Island School of Design. “The furniture design program was great for me because…
To explore color and pattern, North Carolina’s Shane Fero takes a painterly approach to his sculptural glass birds and vessels. Artist: Born in Chicago, Fero’s family moved to Winter Haven, FL, in 1967. About a half-mile from his home, was the flameworking shop of Bob and Marie Howell, part of a well-known itinerant family of…
Tennessee sculptor Raymond Padron carves hyper-realistic wood wall reliefs of familiar and often meaningful items from your past. Artist: Born in Maryland, Padron grew up in the North Virginia suburbs of DC. He graduated with a BA in art from Messiah College in Grantham, PA, and moved to Chattanooga, TN. In 2011, Padron received his…
North Carolina ceramic sculptor Karli Pendergraft makes soft organic forms and vessels with abstracted elements from the natural world. Artist: The North Carolina native was born and grew up in Raleigh. In 2018, she received her BFA in studio art from Appalachian State University in Boone. Soon after graduation, she moved to Asheville. Studio: Since…
To construct her elegant and intricate works, North Carolina weaver Patti Quinn Hill uses traditional basketry techniques and a non-traditional material: painted archival paper. Artist: Born in New Orleans, Hill grew up in nearby Metairie, where her mother and grandmother taught her needlework and sewing skills. Company/studio: Patti Quinn Hill is based in Weaverville, NC. The artist,…