OSCAR CONTRERAS
Oscar Contreras, a native born of Guatemala, is currently attending VCU's photo and film department. He enjoys all artistic forms and uses them to communicate with his audience hoping not only to entertain but to spark feelings and discussions about his art or the issue at hand.
NANCY DALY
Nancy Daly, a senior at James Madison University, is a fine arts major with a concentration in graphic design. She is a big fan of the '50s and loves forks with long tines. She wears a size 10 shoe just like Oprah, they're shoe twins! She would like to thank her family and friends for always supporting her sometimes ridiculous projects, her roommate Maggie for being an excellent dressmaker's dummy/model and her amazing photo teacher, Rebecca, who helped inspire this creation.
KAITLIN R. DEMAYO
I am originally from Virginia Beach, Va. I am 21 years old, and I am a 3rd year junior at VCU. I am currently a fashion merchandising major, and my interests include painting, drawing, writing and photography. This is my second time in the Wearable Art show, and I love being a part of it.
ELIZABETH HALSTEAD
I'm an art history student at VCU from Gloucester. I've had a passion for origami since I was little and have always wanted to try more with the art.
WHITNEY HUGHES
Hi. My name is Whitney Hughes and I am the co-designer/model for the Wearable Art show for Kaitlin DeMayo's dress. I am a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University. I am majoring in fashion merchandising with a minor in dance. In my spare time I enjoy dancing and playing around with design.
GRACE JOHNSTON
Grace Johnston is currently a sophomore Fashion student at the VCU School of the Arts and is a member of the VCU Honors College. For the past ten years Grace has been designing and creating clothing from thrift-shop finds vintage dress patterns and her own imagination. She has worked in costume shops, theater companies and her own living room making clothing and costumes for herself and others. This is her debut fashion show and she is so excited to present her work to the impressive art community of Richmond. She would love to thank her incredible mother, amazing family and fantastic friends for their never-ending support and continuous praise.
SARAH KELLEY
Sarah Kelley, a senior at VCU, is modeling the Starburst, the newest addition to the flower power protective armour collection. This armour is made of crayon shavings melted to wax paper, though these materials may sound childish, this addition is for sophisticated ladies who aren't afraid to strut their stuff. Not only do the powerful color bursts draw people's focus, but it also blows them away.
STEPHANIE KRANSTOVER
I was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on Christmas Day. I am the youngest of my siblings, which includes two older brothers. I grew up in Central America and later moved to the United States at age 11 to Virginia, where I pursued art in high school. Since then I continued my love for art, here at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). I am interested in studying Crafts and Material Studies or Sculpture at VCU.
ADAM KREHBIEL
Bio-medical inventor, painter, sculptor, designer, and musician specializing in mathematic theory of wind instruments. Adam plays over thirty-two instruments performing both in classical operatic and club scene circles with DJs of many genre. Along with performing instrumentally, Adam also sings in the classical operatic style in four languages. Currently, Adam is enrolled in VCU's School of Fine Arts Sculpture and continues to study art under that field. The music "From Dark to Light" for Adam's piece, is of his own composition.
NIKKI LEONE
Nikki Leone, 26, from Virginia Beach, Va., is a Senior at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a Sculpture major.
GILLIAN MANISCALCO
Gillian Maniscalco is a Richmond artist working mainly in woven, crocheted, and hand-dyed textiles. She is also a senior in the Craft and Material Studies Department at Virginia Commonwealth University.
RAVEN McLAUGHLIN
I'm currently a sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth University majoring in fashion design. VCU is a stepping stone to my career in the fashion industry. In the future I plan on becoming a costume designer for screenplays. I love to experiment with new materials when designing and constructing garments. I've always wanted to create a dress out of hair because it is such a versatile material.
MEGAN MUELLER
Megan Mueller is a junior in the sculpture program at Virginia Commonwealth University. This will be her second undergraduate degree, originally graduating from George Washington University with a degree in Political Science in 2004. Mueller would like to be a ballerina/architect when she grows up. Her favorite color is red.
CHANTE RENEE PAGAN
Chante Renee Pagan is an 18-year-old Puerto Rican freshman at VCU's School of the Arts. Aspiring fashion designer, with dreams of moving to Italy and making a name for herself in the "Fashion World:' Admires designers Versace and Valentino.
SARAH PERRY
A rural Virginia native, Sarah Perry is making her home in France, eating baguettes and creating sterling silver jewelry among other things. During her studies at the University of Mary Washington's studio art department, she gravitated toward performance art and garment design, a perfect combination for a wearable art competition. This marks her third year in the 1708 competition, towering over the crowd with last year's pantyhose dress on stilts. This year's ensemble exemplifies Sarah's love of nature; "Horti-Couture" is constructed of 1 09 living plants thanks to the support of long time lover of the arts, Peter Hunt.
SUSAN POLLARD
Susan Pollard is a craft and material studies major at VCU. She primarily works with ceramics, but is skilled at creatively rendering modern functional items which she has been selling in the Virginia area for several years. Her knowledge of the relation between material and function allows her to successfully create a modern aesthetic which is also structurally sound. In this piece, duct tape's durability and usefulness is exhibited in a contemporary workman's tool belt.
MEG ROBERTS
Meg Roberts, 20, from West Point, VA, is a Junior at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is majoring in Craft and Material Studies with a concentration in Metals.
LADY SARENIFER
Here's our bio for Lady Sarenifer: Lady Sarenifer Spunningham resides in a glass house and lives dangerously above her means. Despite her desire for all things fine and magnificent she is quoted as saying "I will forever be poor in spirit. Wealth is SO plebeian. I'd rather wallow in poverty than be held to some higher standard. I mean, why should I have to buy carbon offsets. I love air travel just as much as the next person:' Sarenifer finds enjoyment doing crafts with fake plastic stuff and is constantly reinventing herself as she strives to always be lovely. Thanks! Jennifer and Sarah
MOLLY SHELDON
Molly Sheldon is an art and art history double major at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. During the summer of 2007 she traveled to Europe on a scholarship to study drawing and painting with the Parsons New School for Design in Paris. Molly works in various media, from painting and drawing to mixed media sculpture, and concentrates in ceramics.
FRANKIE SLAUGHTER AND CATHY ROLLER
Frankie Slaughter and Cathy Roller come from diverse artistic backgrounds. Cathy is a fine arts graduate with a specialty in glass, metal and painting while Frankie is a mixed media ceramic artist and jewelry designer. Both artists have been working together for nearly a year preparing to launch a unique collection of one-of-a-kind jackets and capes. The wearable art exhibition gave them the perfect opportunity to combine their creative backgrounds and showcase an imaginative and wearable collage of eclectic materials such as found piano parts.
AMANDA DALLA VILLA
Amanda Dalla Villa is a senior at VCU, studying sculpture. A native of Virginia, she has spent the past decade in the Richmond area. Amanda will be graduating in December and is looking at pursuing graduate school in the fall of 2008.
WANDA WILLIAMS
My name is Wanda "Wickett" Wiliiams and I am a senior Fashion Design student at VCU. I am in love with fashion and one day I hope to able to share my love with the world.