Tara Locklear

Inspired by urban landscapes, Tara Locklear’s designs are comprised of industrial and re-purposed materials, which she uses to create a playful visual language in the form of jewelry. In these conversations, color and texture are more than surface aesthetic qualities; they are emotional connection points from the material to the viewer. Her affinity for color and bold shapes are a reflection of her years of pop culture influences. Tara’s curatorial projects include Monochrome Noir at Velvet da Vinci (CA) and 50/50 Equal Parts at The Gray Gallery (NC). She has taught several workshops including at Penland School of Craft and Haystack Craft School. She has given lectures on her process around the United States, including being one of the invited 2016 Sculptural Objects Functional Art and Design (SOFA) Society of North American Goldsmiths Emerging Artist speakers. Her work can be seen at galleries such as Mora Contemporary Jewelry (NC) and Pistachios (IL) and at fine craft shows including MAD About Jewelry at the Museum of Art and Design, the Philadelphia Museum of Art where she received the Excellence in Jewelry 2019 Award and American Craft Council Craft Shows where she received the American Craft Council 2017 Award of Excellence. Her work is included in public collection of the Racine Art Museum (WI). She has been featured in American Craft Magazine and has participated in exhibitions nationally and internationally.

Tara received her BFA from East Carolina University and currently resides in Raleigh, NC where she works as a studio jewelry artist.