A native of Aiken, South Carolina, I grew up in my family’s hardware and appliance business. This experience directly influenced my interest in creating three-dimensional objects and working with my hands. During high school I became enthusiastic about sculpture and jewelry, so I enrolled in the industrial tech class and learned to weld.
I attended Winthrop University for my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry and Metals and Master of Fine Arts in Silversmithing and Design with a minor in Sculpture. For both of my degrees I studied under Alfred Ward, an internationally acclaimed silversmith from England. After graduating, I moved to Charleston, South Carolina and established my studio.
I design and create all of my original, handcrafted objects and jewelry utilizing techniques that have been used for centuries. Inspired by Charleston’s extensive silversmithing tradition, I am dedicated to carrying forth that legacy both through my metalwork and teaching at the American College of the Building Arts. In addition to my work as an artist, I am frequently commissioned by individuals to create unique designs in silver and gold.
My work has been exhibited internationally and nationally, featured in over sixty publications including Silver Magazine, Metalsmith, The Magazine Antiques, Traditional Home, Elle Décor, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Charleston Magazine, Charleston Weddings, and on the television show Handcrafted America. I was honored with the Made in the South Award in the Home category from Garden & Gun magazine and with The Eric Berg Prize for Excellence in Metal at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Additionally, Historic Charleston Foundation honored me with the Samuel Gaillard Stoney Conservation Craftsmanship Award. Finally, I collaborated with Reese Witherspoon’s Southern lifestyle company Draper James on an exclusive silver bowl and The Charleston Museum acquired my silver Charleston Rice Spoon for their permanent collection.
I live in downtown Charleston, South Carolina with my incredibly supportive husband Matthew Quinn and cocker spaniel Hannah.