About Me
Bio
Julie Elkins is a multi-disciplined artist who seamlessly blends her passions for ceramics, puppetry, filmmaking, and teaching. As an educator, Julie finds immense joy in sharing her craft with others. Her ceramic sculptures are a testament to her deep exploration of themes such as grief, human connection, and environmental stewardship. Julie's work is inspired by the haunting beauty and intangible mystery of her surroundings, and she delves into the intricate entanglements of history and the physical residue of time's passing. Through her art, Julie invites us to contemplate the complexities of the world around us and to find beauty in the most unexpected places.
Julie Elkins received a BFA in Craft and Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2002. She first gained recognition for her porcelain sculptures exhibited at SOFA Chicago in 2003. From there, her work made its way into permanent collections of The Mint Museum of Craft and Design, The Fuller Craft Museum, and the Kamn Teapot Foundation. She was a professor of ceramics and sculpture at Virginia State University, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School. She leads many creative workshops in the community, and was the Sculptor in Residence at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with the Rodin exhibition in 2016. In 2020 Julie Elkins was recognized for her film making and received the honor of a commission through Heather Henson's Handmade Puppets Dreams Quarantine Film Commissions to produce her first short film "Playing Opossum". The film premiered at Bonnarroo in 2022 at the House of Yes’s Night Owl Cinema. Julie is represented by the Eric Schindler Gallery in Richmond, VA. She continues to create sculpture, music videos, and film, and engage with her community through art.
Artist Statement
In the intricate world of my porcelain sculptures, I delve into the tapestry of life, exploring the threads of grief and the inevitability of mortality. Having experienced the profound loss of many family members, including my Mom, in past 3 years, my artistic journey has become an exploration of the haunting beauty and intangible mystery that surrounds the human experience.
The scenes I sculpt are reflective of the places, people, and events that have left an indelible mark on my soul. Rooted in my Virginia heritage, each piece is a regional reflection, intricately weaving together southern architecture, trees, and subterranean realms. Through meticulous craftsmanship, I strive to capture the magic inherent in the details, creating works that demand a second, third, and fourth glance.
While my art is deeply informed by the darker themes of loneliness and death, it is juxtaposed against the undeniable beauty of the natural world. The layers of history and the inexorable passage of time are palpable, creating narratives that resonate with the complexities of the human condition.
I like to think of my sculptural work as visual poems. With each piece, I aim to evoke tiny moments of reverence and wonder, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the intricate details and narratives that unfold. My ultimate goal is to create not just art, but an experience that transcends the ordinary, resonating with the universal emotions that connect us all
Curriculum Vitae
COLLECTIONS
Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Fuller Craft Museum, Boston, Massachusetts.
The Kamm Teapot Foundation, Sparta, North Carolina.
Arthur Goldberg Collection, Boston Massachusetts.
AWARDS & GRANTS
Ibex Puppetry and Handmade Puppet Dreams. Micro quarantine film Commission. 2020
Richmond internation Film Festival. Covid relief Grant, 2020.
Florida Keys Council of the Arts, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on the Arts and Culture and private donations: “Artists in Schools Grant”.
Key West, Florida. August, 2012.
Bobby Kadis Award. Full Scholarship in Ceramics.
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC. May, 2004.
Peachtree Award. Scholarship in Crafts.
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. 2002.
Allan Eastman Founders Fund. Scholarship in Ceramics. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. May 2001.
RESIDENCIES
Graduate Hotel, Richmond, VA. Summer 2023.
Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah , VA. Spring 2019.
North Carolina Pottery Center, Seagrove, NC. Spring 2018.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Rodin Exhibition, Richmond, VA 2016.
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Sherrie Gallerie, Columbus, Ohio. 2006-2022.
Eric Schindler Gallery, Richmond, VA. 2009-Present
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
"Gods and Ghosts" Eric Shindler Gallery, Richmond, VA 2020.
“Misadventures” Sherrie Gallerie, Columbus, OH. October 2012.
“Julie Elkins: New Work” Eric Shindler Gallery, Richmond, VA. September 2009.
“Remembering to Remember”, Sherrie Gallerie, Columbus, OH. March 2009.
“Brick by Brick”, Quirk Gallery, Richmond, VA. October 2005.
“New Works”, Hershey Center for the Arts, Richmond, VA. March 2005.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2019
"Laluzapalooza" La Luz de Jesus, Los Angeles, CA.
2017
"Intimate" Sherrie Gallerie, Columbus, OH.
“Redux: Transformations 6X6” Clay Art Center, Port Chester, NY.
“Current Art Fair” Eric Shindler Gallery, Richmond, VA.
2016
“Art Among the Ruins” 1708 Gallery, Satellite Exhibition, Richmond, VA.
2015
“Work” True F. Luck Gallery, Richmond, VA.
“And Then Suddenly, Everything Was New” Eric Shindler Gallery, Richmond, VA.
2014
“Teatime: Annual National Invitational” Clay Art Center, Port Chester, NY.
“Work” True F. Luck Gallery, Richmond, VA.
2012
“SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art) Chicago” Sherrie Gallerie, Chicago IL.
“Fairytales, Fantasy, and Fear” Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC.
“Generosity of Spirit” Penland School of Crafts Benefit ” The Signature Gallery, Atlanta, GA.
2011
“Fighting Rainbows” Eric Shindler Gallery, Richmond, VA.
2010
“50th Anniversary Celebration” Eric Shindler Gallery, Richmond, VA.
“SOFA (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art) Chicago” Sherrie Gallerie, Chicago, IL.
“Emergence” (NCECA Gallery Tour) Bahdeebahdu Gallery, Philadelphia, PA.
2009
“Home Sweet Home” Pelham Art Center, Pelham, NY.
“Midnight Snack” Ghostprint Gallery, Richmond, VA.
“SOFA (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art) Chicago” Sherrie Gallerie, Chicago, IL.
“Group Exhibition” Eric Shindler Gallery, Richmond, VA.
“Teapots, Steep in Thought” Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery, Pittsburg, PA.
2008
“Adaptation”, Center for Emerging Visual Artists, Philadelphia, PA. March.
“Plant Zero @ Artspace”, Artspace Gallery, Richmond, VA.
“SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art) Chicago” Sherrie Gallerie, Chicago, IL.
“The Amazing Ceramics on Gist Street! (NCECA Gallery Tour)”James Simon Sculpture Studio, Pittsburgh, PA.
2007
“SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art) Chicago” Sherrie Gallerie, Chicago IL.
“Grand Opening” VisArts Center, Rockville, MA.
2006
“SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art) Chicago” Sherrie Gallerie, Chicago IL.
“The Curious Teapot”, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO.
2005
“SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art) Chicago” Ferrin Gallery, Chicago, IL.
2004
“The Object and Its Place”, Penland Gallery, Penland, NC.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED
“Teapots: Object to Subject”, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO.
“100 Teapots 2”, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD.
2003
“SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art) Chicago” Ferrin Gallery, Chicago, IL.
EDUCATION
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
BFA. Craft and Material Studies. Concentration in Ceramics and Metalsmithing. August, 2003.
PUBLICATIONS
Starr, Ann. “Porcelain of the Possessed” Starr Review. Starr-review.blogspot.com. Nov, 2012.
Upfront, “Sherrie Gallerie Exhibition”, Ceramics Monthly.April, 2009. 17.
Kaizaad Kotwal, “The Many Faces of Clay: Dazzling, Dizzying, Dynamic-Ceramic Sculptors on the Cutting Edge”, Short North Gazette, December, 2008.
Bird Cox, “Medium”, Brick Weekly, July 10, 2008, 5.
Potpourri, “Steeped in Richmond”, Richmond Home Magazine, Fall, 2006, 24.
Upfront, “Juried Exhibition of Teapots”, Ceramics Monthly, February, 2004, 22.
Mike Giuliano, “Clayworks’ tempestuous return to ‘Teapots’”,
The Columbia Flier, January 29, 2004, 35.