City of North Charleston welcomes Kristy Bishop as new Artist-in-Residence

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department has appointed contemporary fiber artist Kristy Bishop as Artist-in-Residence for 2012-2013.

Bishop will share her talents and experiences with senior groups, public schools and other organizations in North Charleston. She is available for visual art residencies of 12-15 hours at a minimum of two-hour increments at North Charleston schools and is also available to host workshops for community groups of all ages.

Art teachers and school liaisons may request free Artist-in-Residence services by contacting the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854. Community groups are also welcome to submit requests, which will be considered on a first-come first-served basis. All project requests should be placed at least two weeks in advance with residences completed by the end of May 2013.

Bishop, originally from Charleston, received a B.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in painting from the College of Charleston in 2008. In the spring of 2009, she moved to Las Vegas, Nev., where the beauty and fragility of the Mojave desert became the primary inspiration for her paintings. She began experimenting with fiber mediums, incorporating sewn and embroidered elements into her paintings. By the time she returned to Charleston in the summer of 2010, Bishop had transformed from painter to mixed media/fiber artist. Her most recent works are created solely from fabric, featuring hand-dyed silk that is cut, gathered and sewn. By hand dyeing the fabric, she creates a multitude of colors to use as her palette for creating new work. Thousands of tiny pieces of hand-dyed silk are manipulated to create large-scale abstract pieces that employ texture and color to convey a number of emotions.

The North Charleston City Gallery will host an exhibition of Bishop’s work in January 2013. School liaisons, arts teachers and the public are invited to meet Bishop at a free gallery reception on Jan. 3, 2013, from 5-7 p.m.

More information about the Artist-in-Residence program can be found on the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website. For more information about Bishop, visit her website.

Photo above: Untitled (vertical transition), detail

Via: North Charleston Cultural Arts Department

Kristy Bishop

Kristy Bishop