The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County extends a warm welcome to its new Southeastern Artist in Residence, Katie Crawford. Crawford was selected via a competitive pool process that included applicants from Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland counties. Crawford’s residency is part of a year-long process funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts to build an arts education strategy for the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.
Crawford is a local mixed media and watercolor artist whose whimsical designs tell sweet stories of nature and the animals that live there. As part of her residency at the Arts Council, Crawford will create a body of work culminating in a solo exhibit at the end of the 6-month residency. Originally from Virginia, Crawford has exhibited her work across the United States at various galleries and fine arts festivals.
“I am a lifelong creator in many media, concentrating primarily on watercolor and mixed media paintings,” says Crawford in her artist statement. “My art business has traveled with me around the country but I am now happy to consider Fayetteville home."
“The Artist in Residence program will provide the viewer the unique opportunity to be a part of the creative process,” said Bob Pinson, President/CEO of the Arts Council. “They will be able to observe and engage with Katie as she takes ideas in her mind and transforms these ideas into finished works of art.”
In addition to expanding her portfolio with the creation of new works, Crawford will lead arts education activities such as exhibit tours and gallery talks throughout the Fall.
The SEAR initiative provides visual artists of exceptional artistic merit the opportunity to lean into their craft through dedicated studio time, space, and a small stipend to complete a new body of work at the Arts Council. The SEAR program was catalyzed by a $20,000 Grant for Art Projects from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about Katie and the Southeastern Artist in Residence program, please visit: https://www.wearethearts.com/sear
A Virginia native, military spouse and now twice-resident of Fayetteville, Crawford is perhaps most known as one of the city’s most current creatives. A self-taught illustrator and professional artist specializing in narrative watercolor, mixed media painting and 3D needle-felted sculptures, she added writing to this list with the 2021 publication of her first book, What the Map Left Out.
Her authored and illustrated children’s book is the story of a frog and his animal friends whose map-guided adventure leads them on a whimsical journey. Her love of nature and wildlife coupled with a desire to promote friendship and imagination in readers of all ages inspired the tale. In poetic rhythm, each page reveals a playful take on how to endure life’s unexpected twists and turns yet appreciate the journey. You can find What the Map Left Out along with Crawford’s art prints and sculptures — wool, wire armatures not to be confused with toys or stuffed animals — at Leclair’s
General Store in Haymount.
Crawford’s formal journey began with her educational background at James Madison University where she earned degrees in anthropology and art history — domains that connected her interest in human behavior with her love of art, a lifelong passion.
Her experiences as a military spouse and understanding of the difficulties that come with this role also factor into her artistry. She describes art “as an outlet” for the regular uprooting and moving that fosters a deep drive to connect and build community. She also uses art as “a tool for relating with others,” whether through a shared love of fantasy or in connecting “a little bit of herself” through her characters.
Drawing a line between her book’s plot and that of her life, she said, “I think the theme of a journey that doesn’t go as planned resonates with a lot of people. And while I didn’t consciously draw from my life as a military spouse, a lot of the themes ring true. So, I guess the book is mildly autobiographical and contains a lot of the lessons I have learned or at least tried to learn along the way.”
When viewing her work, it is easy to see a creative energy and human-centric nature in her happy and inquisitive animals.
“I have been finding comfort in the thought of living seasonally. Embracing the differences that each season brings. Both the literal seasons and the seasons of life. My favorite part of seasons is that they change. Personally, this is really important when I am having periods of creative dormancy — knowing and accepting that this is only a season,” Crawford said.
For more of Crawford’s art, visit her website at https://katiecrawfordart.com/.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated from a May 2022 article by Audrey Hasslocher in Women’s View Magazine with new information from The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

(Photo: Katie Crawford is the new Artist in Residence for the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. Up & Coming Weekly file photos)