Accumulated Color: Kelly Sheppard Murray
June 8 - July 23
ARTIST STATEMENT
Guided by the idea that consistent small actions create significant impact, these small sculptures grow the body of work over time. This process of creating over months or years is meant to also tie to the notion that our small actions affect the world beyond us. I encase, cover, stitch or layer found, industrial, cast-off or surplus materials to create objects or images that are not easily identified as natural or man-made. The pieces begin without an initial plan but instead rely on an intuitive response to the materials and a search for forms that feel familiar. Bold color and the process of building up encaustic wax to transform industrial materials has been central part of the visual outcome and process of this series. The small individual pieces have grown to a considerable collection that offers endless configurations and groupings to explore different relationships. Each piece is marked with a numbered copper tag to indicate the order in which it was created. Studying, organizing and categorizing the objects by color, form or other characteristics during the exhibitions becomes a bit of a process like a scientist’s study of plants, animals or fungi led by a curiosity to see the similarities and differences that occur over time in the process of creating.
ARTIST BIO
Kelly Sheppard Murray is a Raleigh, North Carolina artist, educator and designer with BFA, and MFA degrees from UNCG and ECU respectively. Murray’s career as an artist has emphasized three-dimensional design and fabrication for nature, health, science, and history museums, although her personal practice includes a wide array of media and processes.
While maintaining professional practice in design and fine arts, Murray teaches 2D & 3D design, painting, sculpture and art appreciation at Wake Technical Community College. In 2014, Murray was awarded faculty rank as Associate Professor at Wake Technical Community College
Murray is a 2018 recipient of the International Encaustic Artists Emerging Artist Grant. Other recognitions include being selected as a 2016 the Artspace Regional Emerging Artist in Residence, as well as a 2000 and 2012 recipient of Regional Artist Project Grant by the United Arts of Raleigh and Wake County. She now maintains a tenant studio at Artspace in order to be able to continue sharing work and having conversation with the public.
Recent exhibitions include a solo exhibition Kelly Sheppard Murray: Sculptures at Wilma Daniels Gallery, Wilmington, NC; Knoxville Tennessee’s Dogwood Arts 2018 Regional Arts Exhibition, Raleigh Fine Arts Society’s 2018 North Carolina Artists Exhibition, Artspace’s 30th Anniversary Retrospective Juried Exhibition.