Intertwined

Sharron Parker earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, studying education, art, and interior design. She continued her studies in textiles at Penland School of Arts and Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

In 1980 Parker began working in handmade felt after seeing 2,500 year old felts from an archeological dig in Siberia. The simplicity of the process—working combed wool in hot water until the fibers lock—provided the chance to work spontaneously and experiment with a technique few contemporary artists were using. Over the last 32 years, Parker has developed her own approach to the medium, creating wall pieces with an emphasis on color and surface texture. She has exhibited throughout the United States, including Crafts National in Pennsylvania, Textile Arts International in Minnesota, and the Atlanta International Museum of Art and Design. Regionally she has shown at Methodist University and the Maria Howard Arts Center in Rocky Mount. International exhibits have been arranged for her in Armenia and Turkmenistan by the Art and Embassies Program of the State Department.