Carol Kroll

contemporary mixed media sculpture & fine craft

 

  • action shotI was raised in New Jersey in a family that encouraged creativity. An ever present abundance of art materials to experiment with and a myriad of art classes set the course to my lifelong love of art. My formal study began as I attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in Newark New Jersey where I received a diploma in textile design.

In 2006, following a nearly three decade long career as a textile designer and the outsourcing of my work, I moved to a small rural town in central NC where I planted a large garden. Serendipitously, I sowed the seeds that would guide my artistic voice and catapult me into becoming a full-time mixed media sculptor. My professional life as a 2-D artist came to an end (or maybe just a pause) opening new doors of creativity to me as a professional 3-D artist.

A deeply felt connection to the natural world compels me to create works of art made from nature, primarily Lagenaria siceraria.  My creative process using hard shelled gourds as art medium is an intimate journey with nature that spans many seasons. It begins with planting in early spring and caring for the plants until harvest in late fall, then continuing on with a year long curing process before I can clean and properly prepare the gourd for artwork. Next comes the really fun part – conceptualizing and putting pencil to gourd. Once I am satisfied with the layout, I begin the processes of carving, sculpting and painting. Finally, I seal each piece inside and out with several coats of a protective finish.

Living close to nature, I find inspiration all around me. I am intrigued by natures’ recurrent fractal patterns; the repetition of color, texture and form recurring throughout nature from the micro to the macro. I see this as a reflection of our inherent interconnection with all of life. My work celebrates the beauty and wonder of natures’ design and honors her resilience as well as her fragility.

My work has won numerous awards and can be found in collector’s homes and businesses both nationally and internationally.

CV:

AWARDS

2022

  • Best In Show and First Place Coloring Techniques, Master Division, Arizona Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition

2019

  • First Place, Animals of the World, National Gourd Crafting Contest, American Gourd Society

2016

  • First Place, Contemporary Creations, National Gourd Crafting Contest, American Gourd Society
  • Presidents Award, 75th Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC
  • First Place, Special Talents, 75th Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC
  • Third Place, Crafted Gourd, 75th Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC

 

2015

  • Best in Show, 74th Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh. NC
  • First Place, Special Talents, 74th Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh. NC
  • Second Place, Sculpture, 74th Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh. NC

2014

  • First Place Peoples Choice Award, 22nd Chatham Artists Studio Tour, Pittsboro, NC
  • Best in Show, Crafted, 73rd Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC
  •  First Place and President’s Award, Sculpture, 73rd Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC
  • First Place, Special Talents, 73rd Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC
  • Second Place,Whole Gourd, 73rd Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC

2013

  •  Best in Show and 1st Place, Special Talents, 72nd Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC
  • First Place and President’s Award, Cut/Open, 72nd Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC
  • First Place, Festival Theme, 72nd Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC

2011

  • 1st Place People’s Choice Award, Chatham Artist’s Studio Tour, Pittsboro, NC

2010

  •  Merit Award, 53rd National Juried Art Show, Rocky Mount, NC

2009

  • First Place and President’s Award, 68th Annual Gourd Festival, Raleigh NC
  • Best In Show, 27th Annual Randolph Arts Guild Juried Art Show, Asheboro, NC

SOLO & DUO EXHIBITIONS

2017

  • Solo exhibit, Carol Kroll: Contemporary Mixed Media Sculpture & Fine Craft, Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC
  • Duo exhibit, Of Trees & Vines, Piedmont Craftsmen, Winston-Salem, NC
  • Duo exhibit, Featured Artists, Liquidambar Gallery, Pittsboro, NC

2013

  • Duo exhibit, Natural Reflections, Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, Winston-Salem, NC
2012
  • Solo Exhibit, Chatham County Community Library, NC
2010
  • Solo Exhibit, Town Hall, Cary, NC

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2018

  • United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, Raleigh NC
  • UNC Chatham Park Medical Office, Pittsboro, NC

2017

  • UNC Chatham Park Medical Office, Pittsboro, NC

2016

  • Galloway Ridge at Fearrington, Pittsboro, NC
  • Chatham Artists, Liquidambar, Pittsboro, NC
  • Chatham Artists Guild, NCSU Crafts Center, Raleigh, NC
  • BugginOut, Piedment Craftsmen Gallery, NC
  • Come Out & Play, JimGin Farm, Pittsboro, NC
  • 75th NC Gourd Arts & Crafts Festival, Raleigh, NC
2015
 
  • Contemporary South, juried art show, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC
  •  ArtBrake, Chatham County, NC
  • 74th Annual NC Gourd Festival, Raleigh, NC
  • 33rd Annual Juried Art Show, Sara Smith Gallery, Asheboro, NC
  • Health Sciences Library, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC
2014
 
  •   ArtBrake, Chatham County, NC
  • Spring Art Sale, Pittsboro, NC
  • ArtBrake exhibit, UNC, Health Sciences Library, Chapel Hill, NC
  • 73rd Annual NC Gourd Festival, Raleigh NC
  • Roundtable Artists, Blue Dot Coffee, Pittsboro NC

2013

  • Tiny: Attention, Exploded, The Carrack Modern Art, Durham, NC
  • Carolina’s Got Art, Salon Show,  Elder Gallery, Charlotte, NC
  • 72nd Annual NC Gourd Festival, Raleigh NC.
  •  Come Out & Play , Carrboro, NC
  • 21st Chatham Studio Tour, Pittsboro, NC
2012
  •  Inspired Globally: Created Locally, Milton Rhodes Center For The Arts, Winston Salem, NC
  • Games People Play, Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, Winston Salem, NC
  • Regional Artists Group Exhibit, Ambleside Gallery, Greensboro, NC
  • Three Rivers Arts Festival, Sanford, NC
  • 20th Chatham Studio Tour, Pittsboro, NC
2011
  •  19th Chatham Studio Tour, Pittsboro, NC
  • New Member’s Exhibit, Piedmont Craftsmen Guild, Winston-Salem, NC
  • Outside In, Eno Gallery, Hillsboro, NC
2010
  •  18th Chatham Studio Tour, Pittsboro, NC
  • 53rd National Juried Art Show, The Arts Center, Rocky Mount, NC
  • Autumn Faire, Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, Belmont, NC

2009

  • Art Market, NC Arts Incubator, Siler City, NC
  • 22nd Annual Holiday Gift Invitational 2009, Alamance Arts Council, Graham, NC
  • Cultural Crossroads, National Juried Fine Art Competition and Exhibition, Winston Salem, NC
  • Randolph Arts Guild 27th Annual Juried Art Show, Moring Arts Center, Asheboro, NC
  • Bynum Front Porch Music and Art Series, Bynum, NC
  • Tails Of Chatham Rabbit, NC Arts Incubator, Siler City, NC
  • Emergence, Central Carolina Community College, Siler City, NC
  • 68th Annual Gourd Festival, NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, NC

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

  • Lisa Baurmeister, Carol Kroll, Featured Artist, The Gourd Magazine, AGS, Fall 2019, pages 6, 7 & 9 www.americangourdsociety.org
  • Garrison, Cecile, Crafting Contest Winner, Carol Kroll, The Gourd Magazine, AGS, Fall 2016, pages 6, 7, 8, &  9
  • Gibson, Bonnie, Carol Kroll Featured Artist, Arizona Gourds Newsletter, January 2016, arizonagourds.com
  • Widess, Jim & Ginger Summit, Complete Book Of Gourd Carving, Fox Chapel 2014, pg.70
  • Daniel, Diane, Mixing Gardening and Craft, She Turns Gourds Into Art, The News & Observer, December 2013 http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/12/06/3435084/who-ware-gourd-artist-carol-kroll.html
  • Meyer, Deborah, “ArtBrake! Inspired To Create”, Chatham County Line, April 2014
  • Bates, Tony, “Carol Kroll, The Seeds Of Art”, We Are Greensboro, Janurary 2013
  • Hoffman, Erika,“Gourd Art Is Good Art”, The Herald Sun, March 2010
  • Gibbs, Milburn, “CCCC Student Adds Artistic Touch To Gourds”, Chatham News/Record, October 2009
  • Greenslade, Forest, “Emerging Artist Takes Honors At NC Gourd Festival”, chathamartists.blogspot.com/, September 2009
  • Gibbs, Milburn, “Three CCCC Art Students Win In Randolph Art Guild’s Juried Show”, Chatham News/Record, August 2009

EDUCATION:

  • Newark School Of Fine And Industrial Art, Diploma, major in Textiles, 1977
  • Central Carolina Community College, Siler City, NC, sculpture program, 2012
  • Central Carolina Community College, Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture, 2006

ART RELATED MEMBERSHIPS:

  • Board Member of Chatham Artists Guild
  • Exhibiting Member of Piedmont Craftsmen Guild
  • Member of North Carolina Gourd Society
  • Member of American Gourd Society

COLLECTIONS:

  • Works held in corporate and private collections, nationally and internationally

PREVIOUS BUSINESS EXPERIENCE:

  • Textile designer in the Apparel, Home Furnishings and Commercial Markets