Media: Hand-painted natural textiles

Under the Radar 2006: Mixed media

Lives: Athens, Georgia; “My husband and I first landed on Vashon Island, Washington, to live and work on an alpaca farm. After a few years, we ventured to Asheville and then to Brooklyn. We loved New York and were there for a few years but moved back South to start a family and be closer to mine.”

Evolution: “All of my art is made through the lens of my brand, STATE, a handmade clothing line. From painting on the garments to designing the photo shoots and taking the images myself, every detail of the business is what I consider my artwork now, and the end result is a thriving company that happily employs almost a dozen women.”

Inspiration: “Making garments for people who enjoy standing out and making a statement—while being comfortable!” What’s next: “We have big plans for 2020 and hope to expand our team and space.”

Find her: https://statethelabel.com, @statethelabel, @adrienne_antonson, @statethestore

Media: Acrylic on canvas, linen, or wood panel; pen and ink on paper and 
wood panel

Under the Radar 2011: Pen and ink on paper; “‘Under the Radar’ gave me confidence and the interest to pursue additional mediums.”

Lives: Mount Pleasant

Day job: Self-employed architect

Experiences & Exhibitions: Resident studio artist at Redux Studios (2016-2018); “George X George” solo show at Zero George and The George Gallery (2018); “In Focus” group show at The George Gallery (2017); “Posing Possibilities, Charleston Parks Conservancy” with Hirona Matsuda at Charleston City Gallery (2016); “A Response To Paper” group show at Corrigan Gallery (2016); “Wall Line 2” installation with Hirona Matsuda at ArtFields, Lake City (2016); “Wall Line” with Hirona Matsuda at Jericho (2015); Charleston Supported Art (2014); “Semi-Automatic” with Allan Wendt at Corrigan Gallery (2013)

What’s next: “Continuing to pursue both architecture and art”

Find him: The George Gallery, @alanwjackson
 

Media: Digital and film photography

Under the Radar 2006: Digital photography

Lives: Charleston

Education: BA in English from College of Charleston (2004), MFA from Speos Paris Photographic Institute (2005); and The Eddie Adams Workshop (2010); “The latter connected me with many contacts throughout the photography industry and allowed me to learn from some of the most inspirational photographers in the world. I have returned almost every year since (except the two years when my girls were newborns) to volunteer and soak up wisdom.”

Exhibitions & Awards: Images published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated, among others; several shows at Redux Contemporary Art Center

Evolution: “When I was first starting out, I was hungry for work and would take just about any photography job that came my way. It was a great education in photography and passion, but I have since honed in on portraiture. Capturing personalities has always been my love, and strong suit.”

What’s next: “A friend of mine always reminds me that the only constant is change, but I know I’ll always have my camera by my side.”

Find her: alicekeeneyphoto.com, @alicekeeney

Media: Combining performance art, sculpture, drawing, and photography

Under the Radar 2011: Photography and photographic transfer

Lives: Hardy, Virginia

Education: MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Exhibitions & Awards: Numerous, including “How to Flatten a Mountain,” a PhotoIreland Festival show in Dublin (2018) and 701 Center for Contemporary Art South Carolina Biennial (2017, 2015, 2013)

Evolution: “When I was in ‘Under the Radar’ in 2011, my work was dealing with the issue of racism and the relationship between women of color who care for white children. Currently, I am focused on exploring place and the environment. I do not see these two issues, racism or the climate crisis, as being exclusive of the other. The same capitalistic, patriarchal system that is destroying the environment is also at the root of racism, sexism, and other injustices.”

Inspiration: “Place and the human connection to a location interests me. I am very involved and currently working on getting a certificate in eco-psychology, a field that seeks to develop and understand ways of expanding the emotional connection between individuals and the natural world.”

What’s next: “Living on a farm, sinking into place, creating workshops, making art, and working on a book.”

Find her: donnacooperhurt.com

Media: Acrylic on paper, canvas, or wood panel

Under the Radar 2011: Mixed media on paper

Lives: Mount Pleasant

Day job: Manages a team of instructional designers at Blackbaud software company

Exhibitions: “Visualists” group show with Brooklyn-based curator Kate Singleton on her site, Buy Some Damn Art (2019); The George Gallery (2017); solo show at Gris Galerie (2013), as well as paintings featured in The Jealous Curator and a portrait of Frederick Douglass that was selected and sold at the Hotbed Gala, curated by Danielle Krysa of The Jealous Curator and hosted by Sharon Stone

Evolution: “My work has shifted from anonymous, historical subjects to contemporary subjects, including those I photograph myself. I maintain a lot of the qualities that were present in my historical portraiture—stoic, mugshot-like poses with expressive color choices and mark-making. Creating the paintings is a slower process now; I build up color through layers and layers of paint, whereas the earlier portraits were more direct.”

What’s next: “A new series of portraits, this time focusing on people I follow on Instagram. It’s allowing me to collaborate with artists across the United States. It’s nice to make a personal connection with folks I have followed for years on social media.”

Find him: greg-hart.com, @gregh.art 

Media: Oil on canvas and digital paintings

Under the Radar 2006: Oil on canvas and oil on wood panel

Lives: Gainesville, Florida

Day job: Academic advisor for first year students in the College of Engineering at the University of Florida

Education: MA in art history from University of Florida (2012); MFA in painting from Washington University in St. Louis (2009); BA in art history (2006) and studio art and historic preservation (2005) from College of Charleston

Exhibitions: University of North Florida Faculty Show in Jacksonville (2013); “People, Faces, & So Carolina Places,” North Charleston City Gallery (2013); among others

Evolution: “For a long time, my work has focused on the collegiate experience and exploring what it means to be in this liminal state between childhood and adulthood.

Media: Oil on canvas and linen; ink on paper

Under the Radar 2006: Oil on canvas, oil and gold leaf on canvas

Lives: Darlington, South Carolina; “I am sentimental about Charleston, my birthplace. It is deep in me and what I am made of, but I have never been interested in painting it. Freedom is elsewhere.”

Evolution: “I enjoy collaborating on three dimensional projects and painting with something specific in mind for someone. Renovation and decorating projects have always figured into my painting life. Screens, murals, furniture, portraits: there is no end to what can happen in paint. My favorite project of late has been designing a studio in the country overlooking a field. It was a long-held dream that came true.”

Inspiration: “I prize imagination and a creative life in all its forms.”

What’s next: “Practically each day brings something so unexpected, so miraculous—what is next? I’m still curious.”
Find her: kathastie.com, @kathastie

Media: Pinhole photograph pigment prints

Under the Radar 2006: Silver gelatin and liquid emulsion prints

Lives: New York; “I became enamored with the idea of living in a creative live/work space in a bigger city with my business partner and friend. We moved to Chicago to continue our jewelry business, selling necklaces and earrings imprinted and etched with photographs. Six months later, I ended up in New York City, realizing it was the city I ultimately was looking for. I miss Charleston and its beauty every day and am fortunate to be able to visit my parents on Folly Beach.”

Day job: Restaurant manager

Exhibitions: Various shows in Charleston between 2006 and 2009

Evolution: “I have photographed landscapes in California, South Carolina, Florida, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and the Caribbean. My work continues to be rooted in the ethereal. I have always been drawn to an angle of the landscape that feels slightly damaged, dreamlike, or desolate. I received a Zero Image Pinhole Camera as a gift 10 years ago, and it has been the only camera I have consistently used since. Sometimes I know exactly if the shot will turn out, while other times it can completely surprise me (often in a good way) depending on the film, lighting, or the timing.”

Inspiration: “While there are moments of beauty in New York City, I try to capture my love of the landscape in the surrounding natural areas of Upstate New York, Block Island, East Hampton, and Fire Island. My cameras travel with me on every vacation, including my trips back to Charleston.”

What’s next: “Earlier this year, I bought a ton of film and told myself I needed to start being more creative again. I developed a few rolls and was happy with them. Just days later, I received the e-mail about the show. I take that as a sign to keep moving and creating.”

Find her: katiemleonardphotography.com, @katiemleonard

Media: Sculptural installations

Under the Radar 2011: Site-specific installations

Lives: Birmingham, Alabama

Day job: Tenure-track assistant professor of art at Samford University

Education & Experiences: MFA in studio art at the University of Maryland, College Park (2014); residencies at the Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, Vermont) and Elsewhere Living Museum (Greensboro, North Carolina)

Exhibitions & Awards: Numerous, including “Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up” solo show at Samford Art Gallery, Samford University (2019); ArtFields (2019); “Em(body)ment” at Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center Gallery, Tarleton State University (2018); and International Sculpture Center’s Outstanding Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award Show at Step Gallery, Arizona State University (2015)

Evolution: “It has become more about my lived experience. I’ve experimented with more organic materials (such as animal intestines and pork caul fat). Most recently, I have been working with photographs of human umbilical cords and printing them onto fabric, which I then sew together and stuff like pillows.”
Inspiration: “As an artist, I am intrigued by the materiality of the flesh and believe it to function as a microcosm that points to various aspects of the immaterial human experience. I’m excited and inspired by the navel, umbilical cord, and placenta as both site and symbol of the simultaneity that is embedded in the human experience. Just as the human belly button marks both a connection to and a separation from our physical origins, the work that I make points to a similar simultaneity of opposites, referencing the body’s attraction and repulsion but also the immaterial void of human longing in us all.”

What’s next: Organizing and chairing a session at the upcoming SECAC conference this October on the subject of the Artist as Parent as Academic and presenting at the upcoming Artist/Mother retreat in November

Find her: laurenfrancesevans.com, @laurenfrancesevans

Media: Film photography and assemblage

Under the Radar 2011: Small mixed-media pieces—her photographs embellished with fabric, stitching, cut paper, and found organic materials, such as seeds, flowers, and butterfly wings

Lives: West Ashley

Day job: Worthwhile website manager

Education: BA studio art and photography from College of Charleston

Exhibitions: Annual shows since 2011, including “Keepsakes” at Beresford Studios (2018); SCETV and Palmetto Curatorial Exchange’s “Perceptions: The World Around Us” (2015); and ArtFields in Lake City, South Carolina (2013)

Evolution: “In 2014, I went to Japan to visit my grandfather, who had been diagnosed with cancer. After I returned home, I found myself moving my work in a new direction, using more natural elements while incorporating significant personal details within each piece as I explore concepts such as memory, family, and time.”
Inspiration: “The local natural landscape, as well as my Japanese heritage. My most recent work has influences from ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), kanzashi (traditional Japanese hair ornaments), 19th-century photography, and local plants and flowers.”

What’s next: “I just had a baby, and I am curious to see how parenthood will have an impact on my art.”

Find her: ninagarner.com, @ninaegarner

Media: Mixed-media painting, batik on silk, and acrylic cutouts

Under the Radar 2011: Oil paintings and collaged prints

Lives: Asheville, North Carolina

Day job: Sells vintage clothing and hand-screen-printed shirts and paints murals

Education: BFA from Alfred University (2010), as well as classes at Penland School of Craft

Exhibitions: Numerous solo and group shows, including “Family Ties” (2018) and “(it was) A Wet, Hot, Southern Summer” (2016) at The Southern Gallery

Evolution: “I have been interested in textiles and patterns for years and decided to focus on repetition and color theory. I wanted to challenge myself to a complex pattern that embraced the imperfections that came with the hand. I recently got into batik after my mother, Mary Edna Fraser, decided she could no longer work with that medium due to her asthma. We had a family show with The Southern Gallery, and they filmed my mother teaching me batik. It was a whole different process: I had to think in reverse. I assisted her in a class at Arrowmont, and it felt so familiar to me, I fell in love.”

Inspiration: “Everything! I find inspiration every day.”

Family influence: “My parents, Mary Edna Fraser and West Fraser, are well-known artists in Charleston. They have supported me creatively and influence me greatly.”

What’s next: “I have been screen printing recently and look forward to more designs and collaborations. I want to pursue batik work further and continue playing and exploring many mediums.”

Find her: rebawestfraser.com, @hunkydoritos, @heyokgoodgoodies

Media: Photography

Under the Radar 2011: Photography

Lives: Boston, Massachusetts; “I moved to Boston to attend graduate school.”

Day job: “I’m currently looking for work as a clinical social worker. Hire me!”

Education: MA in clinical social work; courses at Penland School of Crafts and College of Charleston

Exhibitions & Awards: Solo exhibition “from/here” at The George Gallery (2014); Charleston Pride Festival Community Pride Award (2014); “Contrast” group show at The George Gallery (2014); “Concurrent” group show (2012)

Evolution: “Most of my creative work has been concerned with the impact of sweeping gentrification on the physical and architectural landscape in Charleston. My work examines gentrification through lenses of loss, grief, and voyeurism. After ‘Under the Radar,’ I became more comfortable recognizing and embracing photography as not only a creative visual practice for me, but also as a practice for engaging and processing impermanence, mourning, and reverence.”

Inspiration: “Historically, I’ve been inspired by change and loss in relationships and experiences of connection and care, in memory, and in subjectivity. I’m interested in the ways in which very personal and particular experiences and feelings are mapped onto spaces and places. I’m also interested in the ways that the medium of photography—something that seems able to neutrally capture and preserve—interacts with all of these ideas in complex and illusory ways.”

What’s next: “I can’t wait to find out!”

Find them: The George Gallery

Media: Oil on canvas

Under the Radar 2006: Mixed media/oil; “‘Under the Radar’ was my first real group show. The recognition gave me the confidence to pursue art as a career.”

Lives: Mount Pleasant; “I was born and raised in Charleston. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I am surrounded by an endless source of inspiration for my landscape paintings.”

Exhibitions & Recognition: Featured in the Coastal Living design house in Beaufort, South Carolina (2018), the Hampton Designer Showhouse and the Serena and Lily group show in the Hamptons, New York (2017)

Evolution: “I have evolved into a landscape painter. I still love texture, so I often incorporate marsh reeds in my landscape paintings by sewing them into the canvas. I love using a palette knife to create texture and depth. I also drip the paint, which strengthens the representation of water in my work.”

Inspiration: “My love of the Lowcountry—I’ve been lucky enough to have been surrounded by its beauty since I was a child. I strive to make viewers feel as though they are immersed in the landscape. The horizon line is always my starting point, and I move it up or down the canvas to create interesting vantage points. The color palettes that I use for the marsh and sky are mostly intuitive. The colors change every day, and no two scenarios are the same. I think that’s why I never get bored of this subject matter.”

What’s next: “I just want to continue on my journey as an artist. I am grateful for the many opportunities that have allowed me to live my life as a creative person.”

Find her: The Charleston Artist Collective, as well as online at William Sonoma Home, Serena and Lily, shannonwoodart.com, @shannonwoodart

Media: Oil on canvas or panel, oil and graphite on canvas

Under the Radar 2006: Oil on canvas

Lives: Charleston; “I came to Charleston from rural Virginia for college and never left. I was seduced by mild waters, palmetto trees, beaches, a moderate pace, a mysterious and striking downtown, marshland vistas, and overall a friendly community—the value of which cannot be overstated.”

Day job: Photography lab technician at the College of Charleston

Exhibitions & Awards: VAE Raleigh’s Contemporary South ’17 (2017), ArtFields in Lake City (2015), “SouthXEast: Contemporary Southeastern Art” at Florida Atlantic University (2008), “The Changing Face of Charleston” at Charleston City Gallery (2007), as well as in the Contemporary Carolina Collection at MUSC
Evolution: “My approach, process, and style have deepened, slowed, and shifted. Although certain fundamental elements, such as space and scale, remain constant, my themes have broadened, compositions have become more complicated, and the actual size of the paintings themselves more modest.”

Family influence: “I was fortunate to grow up with a mother and grandmother who encouraged visual expression and who emphasized the important presence of nature in daily life; that one’s observation and interaction with the wider world and its various and eternal forces is formative, priceless, and indelible.”

Find him: Show & Tell Art & Design, townsenddavidson.com

Media: Mixed media

Under the Radar 2006: Mixed-media installations

Lives: Spring Island, South Carolina; “The switch from urban city to nature, along with all the unique benefits this place offers—chickens, a four-acre vegetable garden, an art center, one third of the island in preservation, interesting, engaged residents—was an easy choice.”

Exhibitions: Piccolo Spoleto (2011); The Kraft Center in New York (2011); American Guild of Judaic Art, Rosenzweig Gallery, in Durham (2011); North Charleston Arts Festival, American Jewish University, Los Angeles (2009); Indianapolis Art Center Fiber Show (2007)

Evolution: “I am fortunate to not have to sell my work to make a living. However, I did want it seen. At one time, my focus was as much about getting my work exhibited as it was producing it. With age comes wisdom, I guess, and I am now very content to produce for my own satisfaction, enjoy the creative process, express my inner self, and explore new mediums.”

Inspiration: “I like the challenge of trying something new and do not fear failure. Failure is part of the learning process.”

What’s next: “I will continue to explore pastels and other mediums and develop a style that is uniquely mine.”

Find her: juliewklaper.com

Media: Mixed-media collage with hand-dyed textiles, acrylic, and pastel

Under the Radar 2006: Mixed-media collage with fabric, acrylic, gouache, pastel, and pencil on canvas; “‘Under the Radar’ introduced my art to Charleston magazine readers, new collectors, and exhibition opportunities. It set me on the path to establish myself as an artist in Charleston.”

Lives: Charleston; “The coastal landscape is a limitless source of inspiration for me. Plus, the energy and support of the local art community is a rare, special thing.”

Exhibitions & Awards: Solo shows at Gregg Irby Gallery in Atlanta (2019), City Gallery at Waterfront Park (2015), and Wofford College in Spartanburg (2008); cover of Charleston magazine (2016); Griffith Reyburn Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award (2015); in addition to numerous group shows throughout the Southeast as well as pop-up shops and print releases with One Kings Lane, Artfully Walls, and Furbish Studio

Evolution: “While I continue to use the same collage process with textiles and paint, my subject matter has gradually evolved. In the last few years, my series have been inspired by flowers and fruits, clouds and wind, abstracted water, quilt patterns and stitching, and now Lowcountry dreamscapes and East Coast landscapes. I do revisit my love of abstract painting every year.”

Inspiration: “Lately, I’ve been drawn to wide open marshscapes, empty beaches, and infinite horizons—idealized coastal spaces with plenty of room to breathe, watch the clouds roll, and just unwind.”

What’s next: “I recently moved into a studio in the Cigar Factory, where I am looking forward to painting on a larger scale and welcoming designers and collectors. I am working on commissioned paintings for private and public collections, including the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.”

Find her: Gregg Irby Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia; Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; KarinOlah.com; @karinolah