Hi, I’m Theresa Applegate; metalsmith, artist, and educator. My work focuses on preserving curiosities by incorporating foraged objects and textures from natural surroundings. Utilizing mold-making and direct botanical casting allows a literal transfer from object to metal. This process of archiving ephemera facilitates repetition of forms which are fabricated into kinetic, wearable works of art. Natural gemstones, sterling silver, occasional resin, and solid gold combine to narrate subjects of hyperfixation. The preservation of the fleeting state of an object translated into metal fascinates me. Items that are particularly delicate are rewarding to replicate and they offer the wearer boundary-pushing adornment, serving as reminders of the fragility of existence.

My work is hand-crafted in my home studio. I primarily work in metal fabrication and casting but I love exploring different media such as book art, ceramic sculpture, and mold making. My work vacillates between sculptural and functional; always connected to observation, oriented by process, and varied in scale.  

I taught high school visual art for twelve years, including courses in ceramics and jewelry. I became a full time studio artist in May of 2022 participating in juried shows, gallery exhibitions, teaching workshops, and running my website shop. I enjoy traveling, scuba diving, raising butterflies, adventurous food, and spending time with my husband Chase and two children; Ezra and Rumi.

I have participated in numerous juried shows and have ceramic work in the permanent collection of the Savannah College of Art and Design. My jewelry piece entitled Perchance to Dream is published in the Lark book 500 Necklaces: Contemporary Interpretations of a Timeless Form. I have been recognized by the Scholastic Art Awards six years “as an outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors.” I received first place for my booth in the Belknap Fall Festival 2022, and Best in Category at the Millennium Art Festival 2023.