Desmond Beach is an artist and educator. He earned his MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art's Rinehart School of Sculpture and his BFA from MICA. Desmond is an interdisciplinary artist, the middle son of three boys born in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a project artist, meaning that his work takes its point of departure from specific problems or tragedies. Desmond finds inspiration for his work from growing up in Baltimore during the 80s and 90s and his lived experience as a Black man.
I consider myself the Grandma Moses of fiber art. I waited 60 years to follow my dreams. Using commercial fabrics, ethnic prints, and my own hand-dyed materials, as well as reclaimed and recycled western materials, I create each image; an original product of my own imagination or my interpretation of nature. Methods include traditional quilting, raw-edge appliqué, and fabric mosaics and collage. Fabrications can include fabric, strings, ribbons, buttons, cheesecloth, beads, tulle, lace, suede, and leather with other recycled materials.
Katie Ellis is a contemporary weaver located in Dorchester County Maryland. Her most recent phase of work focuses on her lived experiences and visually processing the world around her. Using the pictorial medium of tapestry, Katie translated these experiences into works of fine art. Currently, Katie is a middle school Art Teacher, she believes that teaching is an important part of her art practice.