Bio

Biography:
Stephanie Kelly was born in Portland, Oregon.  Her family later moved to a farm in the small town of Urbana, Missouri where she grew up.  Stephanie comes from an Irish family of six, which consists of one brother, and two sisters, one of them being her twin.  Stephanie has always had a passion for art and being creative in whatever life gives her.   She has always been supported by great family and friends throughout all her creative endeavors.  Even though she’s loved cultivating her hand at art during her high-school years, her passion for creating art really blossomed while attending Dixie State College in southern Utah 2006.  She never really thought of pursuing art as something other than a simple hobby until she decided to take some painting classes from Dixie State College Instructor/Artist Del Parson.  While studying under Del Parson, her skills in drawing and painting began to grow.  Stephanie then decided to take her art education further, studying her undergrad in Painting and Drawing at the University of Utah; where she graduated Fall of 2011.  In Stephanie’s experience at the University of Utah, she had learned by many of her instructors Artists’/Instructor’s John O’Connell and John Erickson in whom feels has really pushed her to grow creatively and conceptually in her work.  While at the University of Utah’s Painting/Drawing program; Stephanie had explored many mediums and ways of creating art.  It wasn't till she took a course from Artist/Instructor Sam Wilson who gave her the option to work with whatever medium she desired.  That was when she discovered her love for working with embroidery, thread drawings (drawing with her sewing machine), and consciously employing both traditional and innovative techniques.  From the beginning, the process of transforming string into art has struck her as magical.  That magical process has had its way with her, leading her from hobby to fine art.  Embroidery fills her with a sense of accomplishment and integrity, and has proven a most amenable means of expression for translating her inner visions to outer reality.  Since then, most of Stephanie’s work consists of fiber art, mixing paint and thread on pattern fabrics.  Stephanie loves the idea of painting with thread.  Stephanie is currently living in Salt Lake City, Utah with her dearest husband/Sculptor Artist Robin Clark.  She spends most of her time sewing, painting, and pursuing any avenue to exploring the creative process


My Artist  Statement :
I consider myself a painter and I paint with thread.  The process of transforming string into art struck me as something visually stimulating with complex simplicity.  Painting with thread is my way down the rabbit hole, my looking glass if you will. My background in painting has allowed me to explore the material using techniques that derive more from the worlds of drawing and painting, engaging both traditional and innovative techniques in employing formal qualities with density, texture and pattern.  The embroidery floss is my palette and the needle is my paintbrush.  I create a method of embroidering the threads in an arrangement that would initially create value, color and depth and as I lay the colors down they instantly blend themselves.  This process has had its way with me, leading me from hobby to art.  My work is an ode and influenced by the worlds of tapestry and my love for craft. Using thread instead of oils has allowed me to bring new purpose to my painting process.  Depending on what fabric I’m embroidering on, is compared to a certain kind of paint.  When I embroider on canvas it feels like oils; it flows, it blends, and it’s rich.  When I embroider on loose shear or silk, it’s like a watercolor; its delicate, the thread goes where it wants to go, and it moves with the fabric.  My work blurs the lines between fine art and craft. I’d like to think I can reclaim the word “craft” which  contains the idea of an unusual frame of knowledge and skill passed on from generation to generation.  My art is what I make, my craft is the skills I have learned in order to make it brilliant. The use of craft such as embroidery fits my concept of domesticity, therefore my process and material becomes involved in the concept of my work.  The idea of using embroidery permeates the feelings of my grandma’s home and the embroidery skills she has passed down to me.  With that, I use embroidery to create the domestic feel to tell the story of life in the home and family.  



Art Resume:

Education:
2008-2011      University of Utah: BFA Painting/Drawing Emphasis. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Group Exhibition:
2014        The Secret City, Adventure, LA, California. 
2014        Good Eye Gallery, No Place Like Home, K Studio; LA, California. 
2014        Fresh stART; Santa Monica, California. 
2013        Studio of Living Art, Green Friday Show, Salt Lake City, Utah. 
2013        The Kimball Art Center; Main Gallery: RELEVANT, Park City, Utah. 
2013        Sugar Space, "Soft" Opening Party @ New Sugar Space, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2013        The Kayo Gallery, Round 9: Salt Lake City, Utah.
2013        Sugar Space, The Optimist Presents: We Flight Like Girls, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2012        The Kayo Gallery, Small Works Show: Salt Lake City, Utah.        
2012 The Kayo Gallery, Round 8:  Salt Lake City, Utah.
2012 The Kayo Gallery, Holiday/Small Works Show: Color moss, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2012        Pebble’s and Twigs Show: You are what you stitch, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2012        University of Utah. Escalating Density: John Erickson Portraits. University of Utah, 
                 Alvin Gittins Gallery.
2011        University of Utah Art Department Holiday Sale Show: University of Utah Alvin         
                 Gittens Gallery.
2011        University of Utah, BFA Senior Show: Embroidered portraits; Thread Drawing.  Art 
                 Space, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2011 University of Utah, ALT Show: Thread Drawing; Art Space, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2011 The Kayo Gallery, Round 7: Mustache Series, Salt Lake City, Utah
2011 The Kayo Gallery, Small Works Show: 4x5 Thread Drawings, Salt Lake City, Utah
2010        4X5 Show: Beauty Thread Drawings; Felt Building, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2010        University of Utah, BFA ALT Show: Beauty Series; Felt Building, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2009        University of Utah, 2009 Student Art Show: University of Utah Alvin Gittins Gallery.
2008        University of Utah, 2008 Student Art Show: University of Utah Alvin Gittins Gallery.
2005        Dixie State College, 2005 Student Art Show: Dixie State College Eccles Fine Arts 
                 Center, St.George, Utah.

Solo Exhibition:
2013         The Kimball Art Center; Garage Gallery; Dwellings. Park City, Utah.
2011-2012      The Leonardo; Home is Where the Heart is.  Salt Lake City, Utah.
2010         The Kayo Gallery;Seeing without knowing: Motherhood Series. Salt Lake City, Utah.
2010         The Kayo Gallery; Seeing without knowing: Beauty Series. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Directed/ Curated Exhibits:
2012        Pebbles & Twigs: Group Show/UofU sculpture club.  Salt Lake City, Utah.
2012        University of Utah: John Erickson Portrait Exhibit.  Art gallery director/curator   
                 collaboration with artist Lisa Aerin Collett. University of Utah Alvin Gittins Gallery.

Art Residencies: 

2013        Relevant 2013 Artist in Residence; Kimball Art Center, Park City, UT

Awards:
2011 University of Utah BFA Senior Show: Honorable Mention
2011 University of Utah ALT Show: Honorable Mention
2009 Carmen Morton Christensen Endowment Scholarship
2009 Florence Ware Scholarship
2009 University of Utah Student Art Show: Blick Art Supplies Certificate Award.

Publications:

2013        The Huffington Post; Stephanie Kelly Clark, Artist, Immortalizes Stylish Homes                   Needlework, By Michelle Manetti.
2013        Curbed; Architectural Embroidery That's Made Needlework Cool Again, 
                  by Amy Schellenbaum.
2013         Anthology Magazine; Thread Paintings by Stephanie K. Clark, by JOANNA.
2013         TAXI; When Embroidery Meets Art And Architecture: Intimate Sewings Of Homes,
                   by Anthea Quay, www.designtaxi.com
2013        The Park Record, Scene; Relevant Reveled.  Park City, Utah 

2013        Juxtapoz; Embroidered Architecture by Stephanie K. Clark. www.juxtapoz.com

2013        The Jealous Curator; I’m Jealous of Stephanie K. Clark,            
                  www.thejealouscurator.com

2013         3Petitspoints Magazine; Stephanie K. Clark, by Isabelle Laydier.

2013         This is the Wash; Girl Crush, Stephanie Clark, www.thisisthewash.com

2013         The Fox is Black; Painterly Embroideries of Homes By Stephanie  Clark,
                   www.thefoxisblack.com

2013         Dwell; Painting with Thread, by Julia, www.dwell.com

2013         Jester Jacques Gallery; Stephanie K Clark sews up intricately detailed pictures 
                  of Homes, www.jesterjacquesgallery.com

2013         Beautiful Decay; Painting with Thread: Stephanie Kelly’s Finley  Detailed 
                  Embroidery; by Jené Gutierrez

2013         La misc ela nea; The Embroidery of Stephanie Clark, www.lamiscelanea.com

2013         KPCW Radio, The Local View:  Gallery Stroll, with Randy Barton.  Park City, Utah. 
2013         PCTV Mountain Morning, Gallery Stroll: Featured Artist with Chelsea Haviland 
                  Miskin. Park City, Utah 
2013        The White Cube Diaries, The Best has yet to Come..., By. J. 
                  www.whitecubediaries.wordpress.com
2012        The Salt Lake Tribune, Big-time face time; By: Glen Warhcol. Salt Lake City, Utah.
2010   Salt Lake City’s; “City Weekly”, January Stroll: Gavin’s Underground.


Contact :
I do commissions!

www.steph.kelly.iam@gmail.com