Get to Know Katie Crawford: Our Southeastern Artist in Residence

In July, the Arts Council opened its doors to the organization’s first artist in residence, Katie Crawford.  Katie was selected to complete a six month residency as part of the Southeastern Artist in Residence program. A skilled watercolor artist, Katie’s work adds a whimsical touch to native North Carolina animals and plants which creates an endearing experience for viewers.

“I started the project with native amphibians and reptiles.” expressed Crawford. “For some reason I’ve always gravitated towards those. I grew up with a lot of them in my environment and I would play with frogs and toads as a kid.”

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Originally from Virginia, Katie received her B.S. in Anthropology from James Madison University before taking the dive into professional artistry as a self-taught artist. Crawford has exhibited her work across the United States at various galleries and fine arts festivals, and has published a children's book that she wrote and illustrated.

Since beginning her residence, Katie has been working hard on her collection, hosting visitors, and taught a class on creativity for the public. The space and time to focus on her work has helped Katie take on larger scale projects.

Image Credit: Raul Rubiera

Katie believes that having a space solely purposed for her art has allowed her the confidence to take on larger scale projects.

“So far I’ve completed the biggest watercolor painting that I have ever done, it's of a native bat here in North Carolina,” said Crawford. “I was given the space, time, and opportunity to say ‘You’ve always wanted to do this. What’s stopping you?’. That really allowed me to think bigger.”

Katie’s exhibit, The Whimsical Naturalist: NC Flora and Fauna, will be on display in our main gallery space from December 6 through January 10, 2025. The exhibit will be free and open to the public.

Click here to RSVP for the opening reception, held on December 6th at 6pm.

The Southeastern Artist in Residence (SEAR) program provides visual artists of exceptional artistic merit the opportunity to lean into their craft through dedicated studio time, space, and a small stipend to complete a new body of work at the Arts Council. SEAR was catalyzed by a $20,000 Grant for Art Projects (GAP) from the National Endowment for the Arts.

We're currently accepting applications for the spring cycle of the residency!

Click here to learn more about the application process.

For questions, contact Sarah Busman (SarahB@theartscouncil.com)

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