Meet The Artists

Paris Alexander’s work has been exhibited widely including galleries, universities, and museums, with numerous public and private commissions.

His work is included in the collection of Wake Med, Duke University,UNC Chapel Hill, Saks Fifth Avenue, the R.C. Kessler Collection, SAS Institute, former president Bill Clinton, Senator Bob Dole, former Govenor/ Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, and many others. Paris's works can be found across the U.S., Canada, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Japan.

Paris is also a well-known instructor in sculpture, drawing, and anatomy. Besides teaching privately, he has been an instructor for several NC Arts councils, The Lucy Daniels Center, the Artspace Arts and Outreach Programs, and the NC Museum of Art Outreach Program.

Grace Cathey graduated from Haywood Community College's Fiber Arts program. She later completed a continuing education welding course that led her life's work, Metal Art. She is a perfect example of a craftsperson that has embodied the art and the business of selling her craft.

Grace chose the unique location of her gallery, inside her husband's 80 year old service station, which is now closed, when she turned the waiting room into an art gallery. Because of this, media often come calling, including Home and Garden TV, Rand McNally Atlas (Editor's Pick) and most recently, Our State magazine. Her work has been shown numerous places including the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and United States Botanical Garden in Washington, DC. Her Four Season's Apple Tree was chosen for Hendersonville, NC Public Art and the NC Arboretum has many of her pieces in their permanent collection. When asked to design an ornament for the White House Christmas tree, she represented North Carolina with our state dog, a Plott Hound and made of metal! She gives back to our community in so many ways - through the giving of her time and art to local fundraisers, and providing leadership to the Waynesville Galley Association and Haywood County Arts Council as she grows her business and mentors and inspires other artists. Grace has been a member of Southern Highlands Craft Guild since 1985 in fiber and now is a member in metal.

Grace has gained a national reputation by her drive and desire to grow and be challenged as an artist and she achieves her goals through hard work and the spirit of entrepreneurship. As stated in the April issue of Our State… she is "a whirlwind of a woman."

As an artist, my goal is to provide new, original visual experiences, add something new to our visual vocabulary, and tell a story, and by doing so, to engage and involve our community visually and intellectually.  My art often raises the question, “How was that made?” (engineered and constructed)  

I learned to love working with my hands from my father, a pilot, who was also an accomplished mechanic and woodworker.  I was introduced to welding as a teenager by the aircraft mechanics at the local airport.  Initially, I welded to build and repair cars, but quickly became enamored with the amazing strength and beauty of welded metal structures and started welding for the sheer joy of the creative process.  My love of things mechanical led to a GM Scholarship in Engineering at Duke. While there, I met an Outward Bound instructor who introduced me to rock climbing, and I found another passion.  A few years later, my avocation became my vocation:  I began a 33-year career as owner / manager of The Trail Shop, Inc., one of the first climbing / outdoor recreation stores in the Southeast.  Meanwhile, I attended art and design classes at UNC–CH and started making art in earnest, using my engineering knowledge to explore strength and balance in sculpture.  Over the years, while otherwise occupied full time with work and raising two children, I’ve continued to make sculpture.  Now I am fortunate to be a full time artist.

Making sculpture fulfills my continuing desire for education, understanding, and communication. Sculpturing parallels my other passions of rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, and mountain biking.  In all these pursuits, my goal is to take myself physically where my mind has visualized going.  I strive to actualize imagined lines, ideas, and dreams, and add something new to our visual vocabulary.  Using my engineering proficiency, technical skills, and careful choice of media, I depict my visions by executing physical techniques, challenging my viewers to see media, scale, space, light, color, strength, and balance in new ways.  Each of my sculptures tells a story.  Sculpture educates, promotes new thought and community engagement, and provides perspectives that permeate all facets of life.

The artwork I produce is an embodiment of my perception of the world. My approach to sculpture has evolved over the years, with the intention of presenting these forms in an intellectually stimulating manner to the viewer. I strongly believe that art should be meaningful and have the ability to evoke emotions in those who observe it. 

The creative process, in my opinion, is the primary source of inspiration. Continuous engagement in the development of my work generates more ideas, and the best ones are often instantaneous, even during mundane activities. For instance, some of my most profound ideas have surfaced while showering or waiting at a stop light. I find great value in exploring the combination of objects that create a new meaning beyond the sum of their individual parts. It is always exhilarating to observe the occurrence of this phenomenon unintentionally, without deliberate thought or intervention. However, it is worth noting that I have never been able to create art on command. 

My ultimate objective is to inspire others through my work, contributing to the betterment of the world.

Craig has been carving stone for the past 25+ years. His passions include his family, surfing, skiing, hiking, creating works of art out of simple means, and enjoying nature to the fullest. He enjoys his days in Key West, Florida where he lives with his wife & children. You can usually hear him sculpting at 5:00 a.m. each morning before the sun comes up, 12 months of the year...

Hanna Jubran received his M.F.A. in Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is currently a Sculpture Professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Hanna’s work addresses the concepts of time, movement, balance and space.

Hanna regularly participates in international art shows, competitions, and symposiums. Some of his most recent activities are: The creation of “A Monument to a Century of Flight” in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina; The International Sculpture Biennale, Chaco, Argentina; The Elements of the Earth Symposium at Pedvale Sculpture Park, Sabile, Latvia, The International Wood carving Symposium, St. Blasien, Germany; The International Sculpture Symposium in Pirkkala, Finland; Tultepec, Mexico Monumental Sculpture Symposium; The international sculpture symposiums in: Jish, Israel; Ma’llot, Israel; Cayo Largo, Cuba; Granby, Canada; Kemijarvi, Finland; The international Sculpture Symposium and Conference in Europas Parkas, Vilnius, Lithuania and The Toyamura International Sculpture Biennial at Toyamura Japan-where he received semi-grand prize. Every symposium Hanna participates in, the sculpture created is retained as part of the town or organizations permanent collection. Hanna is consistent in his pursuit of creating enjoyable sculptures for private and corporate collections. 

Beau Lyday was born in Athens, Georgia in 1955. He has been sculpting in metal and wood since 2009. 

His major influences are Gothic and mid-eastern architecture, Celtic symbols, and sacred geometry. 

After forty years in the furniture business, he left to pursue his art. Beau believes that being an artist is something that one is born to do. He went on to study through practical experience, learning through trial and error, and self-learning reading, studying ancient places and objects as his teachers.

It was here that Beau furthered expanded on his knowledge in working with shaped wood cores plated in aged tin roofing. The remarkable patinas and textures of this material are core to look and feel of Beau's sculptures. He feels it is an honor to save  and reuse part of the past.

He was recently awarded best in show at the North Charleston Sculpture Exhibition. 

His recent large works create a sense of place. Being sculptural and structural a person can stand inside a piece or sit down and become involved with it, embracing the peace within the shelter of the sculpture.  

Beau currently lives and works in Valdese, NC

"I feel that a piece of art does not have to be shocking to have worth. Instead a work can mesmerize a person, moving one to a place of safety or sanctuary and instilling a sense of peace. In these unfathomably violent times, there is a special need for healing art."

Nathaniel Pierce, a native of Southeast Missouri, is a seasoned sculptor renowned for his work in the public realm. With a career marked by a passion for creating art that engages and educates, Pierce continually seeks opportunities to enrich local communities through the transformative power of public art. Inspired by the diverse landscapes and stories of his upbringing, he endeavors to use his artistic vision as a catalyst for inspiration and enlightenment, crafting pieces that resonate deeply with viewers and foster a deeper appreciation for the world around us.

My creative approach stems from years of reflection on historical and contemporary issues concerning social and interpersonal communication. As I have focused my career on designing and installing large scale works, I am always interested in opportunities to inspire and educate people through the lens of public art.

The relationship that these pieces have with the natural environment communicate to the viewer. It is this connection that helps activate our imagination and helps us see the world differently. Nathans’ work has been displayed extensively in public outdoor sculpture programs across the Midwest, including, The Chicago Sculpture Exhibit, SPACES Sculpture Invitational in Huntsville Alabama, and was the recipient of the Lewis C Weinberg Award at Skokie North Shore Sculpture Park. His monumental sculptures have been commissioned for permanent collections by the city of Bentonville Arkansas, the Paradise Palms & Sculpture Garden of West Delray Beach Florida, and the City of Decatur Georgia.

Adam Walls has been creating art for public exhibition since 2004. He received his BA in Art Education in 1996 from Limestone College and taught art in art centers, public schools, and out of his own studio until receiving his MFA in sculpture from Winthrop University in 2005. Since receiving his MFA Adam’s work has appeared in Sculpture Magazine, been the topic of discussion on NPR and ETV, and has been exhibited in over one hundred outdoor sculpture exhibitions. Adam Walls currently resides in Tryon, NC and serves as the head of the sculpture program at UNC-Pembroke.