|
Raised on Long Island, N.Y., in the town of Northport, Darra Crosby grew up making art from a young age. Encouraged by her parents to pursue this love of making, she took after-school drawing, painting and sculpture classes, which eventually led her to study art at New York University where she obtained a B.S. in studio art, in 1999. Undecided about what she wanted to do after college, she took a temporary job as a prop stylist with Robyn Glaser Designs. It was here that her love of fabrics, colors and textures began. Yearning to see the world, Crosby left for a six-month sojourn in Southeast Asia, traveling to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and her favorite country, Nepal. Inspired by the colors, textures, people, tools and smells she experienced there, she decided to continue her education in textiles/fibers. An article about Gee’s Bend quilts also fueled this process as well as her love for synthesizing visual elements of different cultures. Believing in being an environmentally conscious maker Crosby works with natural dyes, organic batting and fabrics as well as hemps and recycled fabrics. Presently an M.F.A. candidate in fibers at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Crosby is working on a series of fine art quilts as well as a series of tote bags inspired by these quilts.
