Emerging Artists of the 2021 PMA Craft Show
Among the show categories at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show is a special focus on emerging artists, encouraging the participation of craft artists who are beginning their careers. This category highlights artists working in their craft for six years or less. This has become a beloved and sought after part of our longstanding show and we look forward to bringing these emerging artists to our audience.
(Above: Jewelry by Rocky Pardo)
When you say the name Rocky in Philadelphia, everyone knows who you’re talking about, but at this year’s PMA Craft Show, another Rocky will be coming to town. Rocky Pardo is an up-and-comer to the world of fine craft jewelry. Her mixed metal fine art jewelry designs pay homage to her split roots between St. Louis, Missouri and Madrid, Spain. Striking a balance between the rough and the refined, the results are effortlessly elegant pieces that are comfortable and easy to wear. Rocky started working with metals in 2006 at the Craft Alliance in St. Louis and fell in love with the material. She received her BFA in metalsmithing in 2014 and worked as a bench jeweler at a local bespoke jewelry store. Rocky finds inspiration in the harmonic opposites in the materials themselves, the world around her, and her life split between two countries.
Inspired by the drama of the primal rock landscape of the Southwest and her Zen Buddhist practice, Betsy Bauer crafts her wrapped rock sculptures using stones she collects from ancient dry riverbeds in New Mexico and elsewhere. After decades of painting, drawing and printmaking, she discovered her new medium in 2019, teaching herself how to weave and wrap rocks. Her sculptures use stones she collects and wraps in natural cane, fusing ancient Japanese basketry techniques with contemporary design inspired by the Southwest.
(Above: Work by emerging artists Sugandha Gupta, Betsy Bauer, and Aprille Nace)
Crown Inspired, by Tamara Belinda is a conscious lifestyle, art-fashion brand. Tamara is inspired by the truth of oneness and the advancement of self. Her designs express the commitment to protect the crown in the physical, mental, and spiritual realms. Tamara’s artistic development began in 2008. She studied both domestically and internationally at Savannah College of Art & Design, receiving a BFA in Graphic Design.
Xinia Guan was born and raised in Inner Mongolia, China. She has a dual BA Degree in Literature and Economics from Inner Mongolia University, and went on to receive an MFA in jewelry from Savannah College of Art and Design. Xinia has exhibited her work in the USA, Europe, and China. The combination of time and space is her current focus, and she uses repetitive geometric designs to express her unique understanding of time zones.
(Above: Emerging artists Tamara Belinda and Thayer Smith)
“Born without color in a country of vibrant colors and visually impaired in a world dominated by visuals, I draw from my personal experiences to build a vocabulary of textures, aromas, and sensations through the sense-abled world of textiles.” ~ Sugandha Gupta
Sugandha Gupta is a textile artist who engages through the senses. Working with her hands, she transforms natural fibers by manipulating the materials. Using fabric construction, manipulation, and embellishment techniques, Sugandha produces immersive textiles and wearables that engage two or more senses simultaneously.
Aprille Nace has been working with clay since 2014, earning her MFA in Ceramics from the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Seeing her process as methodical, measured, and spontaneous, the interior of her pieces is often glazed while the exterior is left unglazed for the raw materiality of the clay. Aprille’s designs begin with the idea of capturing time; her work is an exploration of color, light, and rhythm and a meditation on form.
Thayer Smith is a maker and crafter of electric lanterns. His works are inspired by the ancient craftsmen of the far east. They are primarily constructed out of exotic and domestic hardwoods, mulberry paper, glass, and acrylic. Though none of the pieces are stained, Thayer creates special effects with flame treating techniques, resulting in truly unique presentations.
(Above: Emergina Artists Xinia Guan and Megan Sward)
Inspired by the history of Japanese ceramics and Scandinavian design, Megan Sward creates functional forms that are grounding and bring a sense of quiet to daily living. From art school through to becoming a mother, Megan built her ceramics studio at a time when pursuing a long dormant passion for clay was rediscovered.
Join us at the 45th annual PMA Craft Show, both online and in-person.
Recent posts
