Katie Thompson

Joseph and I had the awesome opportunity to participate in a recent group show Art with a BANGS at Redux Studios in Charleston, SC. Produced also by our friends at Gris Galerie and the Charleston Shop Curator, a small group of artists were enlisted to customize a pair of BANGS shoes to be auctioned off for charity.

BANGS Shoes is an amazing tennis shoe brand Founded by Charleston Local Hannah Davis. BANGS’ slogan is to Stand on Issues, with sales from each shoe going to different types of nonprofits focused on empowerment in their respective fields (education, etc.)

What our pair originally looked like.

Including a DJ, the event also featured a special SpaceCraft Studios sponsored area where attendees customized their own pair of BANGS on site.

This project was especially fun and challenging. I enjoyed combining ideas and techniques generated by my accessories line with a slice of contemporary art and fashion using my favorite medium at the moment, wood shavings.

I also enjoyed returning to Redux to show my work for the first time. I had the great opportunity to intern at Redux during my last summer at the College of Charleston. In the blistering heat of July in that old piano warehouse in Downtown Charleston I learned so much about the fundamentals of managing a nonprofit arts organization. I also gained experiences and insight into studio practices of various types that helped formulate my own fundamentals as a designer and maker. I couldn’t help but get nostalgic when I stopped in to drop off our work for the show.

The finished product.

The shoes ended up being a hit at the silent auction! Several bids were made before we left, so I am happy that the shoes brought in money for a great cause. We also hung a piece from our Joseph Thompson Woodworks Sunken Pecky Cypress series, and a new Black Swamp necklace design made it’s debut as well.

There were also some other amazing artists and dear friends in the show, including Johnny Pundt, Sarah Stewart, Greg Colleton, Greg Hart, Patch Whiskey, Flooded Streets, Michelle Jewell of Finkelsteins Center, Becca Barnet, Allison Merrick of SpaceCraft Studios, and more.

Sarah Stewart

Becca Barnet

Thank you again to Elizabeth and Greg at Gris Galerie, the amazing Stacey and the team at Redux, BANGS Shoes and the Charleston Shop Curator for having us! We had such a great time and were pumped to be included with such an amazing group of artists and makers.