Grace Sheahan

Grant Type: BARTOL
$500.00
Use of Funds: supply costs & instruction fee

Grace Sheahan is a jewelry artist/painter/art educator based in Philadelphia, PA. She believes that jewelry is a tangible narrative of experience. It holds memories and elevates daily life by imparting a spirited bravery and beauty to the wearer. Worn throughout history, it speaks volumes about the wondrous traditions and beliefs of humankind. Her work is an exploration of contrasts-precious and primitive, refined and rough, dainty and dynamic. She likes how metal and textiles are recorders of the effects of time, both becoming deeper in character as life presents its inevitable tarnish and fade. She likes to breathe new life into old materials in order to build something fresh and exciting, yet that still bears an aura of antiquity. Her painting practice centers around portraiture, specifically musicians portrayed in natural environments.

As a teaching artist, Grace hopes to bring jewelry-making workshop series to Philadelphia’s middle/high schoolers. She believes that art-making (specifically jewelry) can increase emotional intelligence and offer satisfaction through the creation of something tangible. It can be a template for conscious living by requiring us to be present with a design/technical challenge while coming up with a solution. Furthermore, it allows us to pause amid the sometimes frenetic chain of moments of daily life and hone the very important virtues of patience and attention.

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