Kim Young
Jewelry & Mixed Media Art

February 10 - March 27, 2009

Artist Statement:
Kim draws inspiration from alley walks, recycle bins, flea markets, fossil hunts and the ocean. She repurposes rusted springs, tin cans & globes, vintage Bakelite toys, pulp fiction paperbacks—to name a few.

Some of these come together as wall pieces and some become wearable art.

Kim’s jewelry combines this detritus with gems, fossils, unaltered river stones and beach glass, pearls and, occasionally, a raw diamond. She delights in contrasting rough edges and textures with something faceted or smooth.

Kim is happy to take a break from working on tiny things to build wall pieces.

Biography:
Born in Philadelphia, raised in Richmond, Kim took one year of Art Foundation at Philadelphia College of Art. She jokes that her only degree is an honorary certificate from Clown College---Ringling Brother’s & Barnum & Bailey Circus’s awarded it when she won a contest involving drawing a clown. She was fifteen.

Later, while doing clerical work at MCV, she was able to study at night at VCU. Largely self-taught, she took several beginning jewelry classes and eventually attended jewelry workshops at Penland and Arrowmont. She has been a full time artist since 1992.

Kim travels the East coast and sometimes goes west to Texas to set up her 10’ X 10’ display in juried craft shows. Along the way she has met a great collection of people, seen a lot of back roads, and won various awards.