Kristy Bishop

INDIVIDUAL - SCAD ID - #150



Designations

  • SCAC Verified Teaching Artist


Contact

kristynicolebishop@gmail.com
843-259-8652
www.kristybishop.com
Instagram @Kristy_Bishop_Studios
Charleston County, SC


Discipline

  • Visual Art


Geographical Availability

  • Upstate
  • Midlands
  • PeeDee/ Grand Strand
  • Low Country
  • Western Piedmont
  • Olde English

About

Artist Bio

Kristy Bishop (b. 1986) is a Charleston, SC-based artist focusing on weaving and natural dyeing and for the past three years delving deep into inkle and tablet weaving. Kristy attended the College of Charleston and graduated with a Bachelors in Studio Art in 2008.

Since 2020, she has been a Certified Teaching Artist through the South Carolina Arts Commission, dedicating her time to teaching fiber techniques to students in schools and adult workshops. Before this distinguishment, Kristy has been teaching fine craft techniques throughout SC and continues to do so. She partners with Engaging Creative Minds, the Newberry Arts Center, McClellanville Arts Council, Charleston Museum, Gibbes Museum and the Greenville County Museum of Art to facilitate textile workshops.

Her weavings, indigo dyed textiles and handmade jewelry have been exhibited and sold in the Renwick Gallery Store at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in conjunction with the exhibit Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women. During the summer of 2024 her work will be on view at the Lyndon House Center for Art in Athens, GA. Kristy will have a solo show at the Park Circle Gallery in North Charleston, SC in October of 2024. During the summer of 2019, Kristy was the artist-in-residence at the Gibbes Museum of Art. She was awarded the South Carolina Artists’ Ventures Initiative Grant in 2016, which allowed her to expand her studio and teaching practice. In 2015, Kristy participated in a three-month residency at the 701 Center for Contemporary Art, culminating in a solo exhibition titled “Bound.” Her teaching artist career began when she was awarded the 2012-13 North Charleston Artist in Residency.

Artist Statement

Drawing inspiration from the rich history of tablet weaving and dyeing, my work is an engagement with ancient practice and traditional techniques that were once commonly used to adorn clothing. By delving into the historical roots of weaving, I honor the craft’s heritage while infusing it with contemporary vision and freedom. I meticulously weave series of bands with unique patterns and colors using inkle, rigid heddle and tablet weaving and then interweave those bands into ever growing compositions. The interwoven masses grow and evolve, split and stretch. Guided by the color and pattern relationships within each band, new pathways materialize, creating a visual tapestry that tells its own story.

Teaching Artistry Details

Teaching Artist Statement

Through slow material practice, I explore the tactile relationship we have with cloth and dyes. The repetition of physical movement involved in creating a woven structure yields itself to an act of ritual and reverence for textiles, whether they are for utility, art, clothing, or comfort. My desire to connect students and teachers to the history of craft and textile practices is a driving force in my teaching studio practice. During a textile residency, I rely on inquiry based learning and collaborative based learning. For example, during the natural dyeing and science residency, students explore with a partner the different color possibilities of dyes, combinations and afterbaths. Through this lesson they are learning through their own experiences how to create and manipulate color.

When I enter a classroom, I always teach students that being an artist is about exploration and making mistakes. Many times, those mistakes can lead to a whole new breadth of work or way of thinking. The fiber art lessons that I teach push those ideas. My lessons are about pattern making, surface design, color relationships, and rhythm and repetition in movement (weaving and embroidery for example) These types of art forms are not necessarily measured on traditional expectations like how well a student can draw representationally. It’s more about learning the tactile skill, recognizing and striving for good craftsmanship, and being open that everyone has the capacity to be creative and be an artist.

I measure success in my teaching residencies through student engagement and growth. Observing their enthusiasm during dye exploration and their ability to articulate their experiences shows me they are deeply engaged in their learning. Students sometimes present their work at the end of the residency to the class, the teacher might organize an art exhibition, or students write about the steps they took to create their artwork.

These lessons have many moving parts and require significant reflection to ensure they run smoothly while effectively conveying the main ideas to students and teachers. When I learn something new in my field that relates to what I’m teaching, I often incorporate it into my lessons. For example, I recently had the opportunity to harvest indigo and quickly discovered how itchy the plant can be—much like fiberglass. This experience deepened my understanding of the hardships faced by those enslaved in South Carolina who had to harvest indigo as a cash crop. Consequently, I now include this insight in my initial history talk on indigo while showing students one of my physical plants. By intertwining art, history, and personal experience, I aim to create a rich learning environment that nurtures creativity while honoring the profound stories woven into our collective artistic heritage. I hope to leave students not only with lasting skills but also with a deep connection to the art of textiles, fostering an enduring curiosity and appreciation for their creative potential.

Description of Offerings

I’m a fiber artist who focuses on natural dyeing, indigo and its history in South Carolina, weaving, embroidery and screen printing. I often incorporate these art forms with STEAM standards such as scientific method, geometry and history.

Experienced with the following age groups
  • Preschool (3-5 years)
  • Kindergarten -2nd Grade
  • 3rd-5th Grade
  • 9th-12th Grade
  • 6th-8th Grade
  • Higher Education
  • Adults
  • Creative Aging (Adults 60+)
Materials Provided to Schools or Organizations by Teaching Artist

All dyes, fabric, and tools to complete the artwork. Students just need to bring themselves and wear clothes that they don’t mind if something gets stained.

Physical and Technical Requirements of a School or Organization

I need a space such as a classroom or outdoor space with tables, water access and electricity. I have to be in one classroom due to all the art supplies and equipment. I can’t travel to different rooms throughout the day.