In her multi-media art and installations, Elyse Defoor explores a variety of contemporary themes. In one popular series, the Atlanta artist uses women’s swimsuits as a symbol for our culture’s obsession with outward appearances. In another, Defoor photographs knives and bullet shells to reflect our fascination with objects that can both protect and destroy. No…
North Carolina’s Summer Merritt blends geometric shapes and organic forms in her modern wood jewelry, blurring the line between art and fashion. Artist: Born in La Mirada, CA, Merritt moved to Olympia, WA when she was 10. After high school, she moved back to Los Angeles area to attend college. She graduated with a BFA in…
Brittan Blasdel uses natural and repurposed man-made materials to make something new. The South Carolina mixed media artist calls her work “elemental excavation.” Artist: Born in Kansas City, MO, Blasdel grew up there and in Rochester, NY. She earned a BFA in photography from the University of Michigan in 1992. Since graduating, she has exhibited…
In her intricate and layered digital collages, Florida photo artist Maggie Taylor creates surreal and dream-like worlds that invite each viewer’s interpretation and imagination. Artist: Born in Cleveland, OH, Taylor moved to Florida at the age of 11. At Yale, she studied photography, philosophy and art history and received a BA in philosophy. After earning an…
Over her 30-plus years as a mixed media artist in Virginia, Frankie Slaughter has challenged herself to create art in various mediums. From intensely colorful paintings and porcelain panels to oversized sculptures and hand-sewn textiles. Artist: Born in Lynchburg, VA, Slaughter grew up with artistic parents. Her mom practiced modern dance and later taught art…
Santi Saucedo, an Atlanta ceramic artist, creates contemporary spiritual figurines that draw inspiration from diverse cultural influences. Artist: Born in Mexico City, Saucedo moved to and around the United States at a young age. He spent most of his youth in northern Virginia, and later, in Pasadena, CA. Growing up in an artistic family influenced Saucedo,…
Sarah Wiley, a Virginia-based interior designer turned textile artist, uses fabric to make unique creations, from custom pillows to framed art that reimagine special rooms and cherished memories. Wiley’s “rooms in miniature” bring spaces to life with intricate detail, blending artistry and storytelling through textiles. Artist: The Virginia native was born in Ivy and grew up…
Julie Torres practiced law for seven years before turning to pursue a more creative career. Artist: Born in Boise, Idaho, the artist grew up in Tallahassee, FL, where she fell in love with making art when she was seven years old. But when it came time for college and career paths, she was too afraid to…
Georgia artist and naturalist Chris Wilson celebrates the beauty of birds and other wildlife in his lifelike sculptures. Artist: Born in Cincinnati, OH, Wilson spent his early childhood there before moving to Marietta, GA, when he was 14 years old. He dedicated himself to his art and graduated from Walton High School. In 1994, he earned…
As a child, Andrea Slappey made jewelry from colored telephone wire. Paper clips too. She never planned to pursue jewelry making as a vocation. But years later, after taking a metalsmithing class, that changed. Now the Atlanta jewelry artist designs her own collections of modern classics. Artist: Born in Tallahassee, FL, Slappey graduated from University…