Kourtney Stone

My assemblage sculptures are meditations on the nature of memory and how we construct stories about our lived experiences. They are informed by research into psychology and philosophy and by my own family history. Our identities are rooted in our experiences and what we tell ourselves about those experiences. We base much of our lives on memory, and give them so much power, but they are also very fragile, fragmented, and mutable. Through the compositions of objects and materials, I contemplate constructions of my past and present: family mythologies, autobiographical narratives, and my impressions of current relationships.

By intertwining found and sculpted objects, I invite viewers to indulge in the human tendency to seek relationships between disparate elements. The figurative elements reference certain narratives. I use pre-made items to evoke different time frames. Each viewer’s mind builds imaginary relationships among the objects, which mirrors the plurality of truths embedded within a single memory.

Originally from central Pennsylvania, Kourtney attended Maryland Institute College of Art, earning her B.F.A. in Ceramics and M.A. in Teaching.  Then she stayed in the Baltimore area, working as a high school art teacher and grade dean. She also served as a board member of the Clay Connection. Next, Kourtney studied at Georgia State University, completing her M.F.A. in Studio Art with specialization in Ceramics in 2021. Kourtney has presented at Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference, NCECA, and the Figurative Association Symposium at Arrowmont. She has been a resident artist at Baltimore Clayworks, Arrowmont’s Pentaculum, and Watershed. Kourtney was a visiting artist at Lebanon Valley College. She has received many scholarships and grants, including the Welch Fellowship at Georgia State University and the NCECA Graduate Fellowship. Currently, Kourtney is serving as Visiting Assistant Professor at Indiana University in Bloomington.