Succulent Appendage Sculpture

Katie Poterala received an MFA from Arizona State University after earning her BFA from Winthrop University. In addition to her studio practice, she has taught metalsmithing and 3D design classes at Arizona State University and Winthrop University. She is currently a metals instructor at Tryon Arts and Crafts in Tryon, NC, and has taught various metals workshops and classes in the southeast. She is an active member, attendee, and volunteer at national conferences, and has held positions in both Arizona Designer Craftsmen and the Society of North American Goldsmiths. Katie's work implies of a sense of history, and is sensitive to the delicate relationship between beauty and decay, as well as our relationships to precious objects. Her work combines the opulence of faceted stones and gold with surfaces that reference provocative textures, colors, and spontaneity found in natural growth and oxidation processes. A main focus of her work is the reinterpretation of the jewel - often by removing it, replacing it with the unexpected, or otherwise reincorporating in unique and captivating ways. The work blends precious and non-precious materials with a feeling of authenticity. Katie's work has been shown in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions, most recently at Velvet Da Vinci Gallery, J Cotter Gallery, Mesa Arts Center, and the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Museum. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and is represented by galleries and shops throughout the country. Her work was recently published in the Lark book Showcase: 500 Rings, and will be featured in the upcoming Lark book Showcase: 500 Art Necklaces.