She builds sculptures and wall art from outdated technologies such as slides, VHS tapes, film, floppy disks, and more. In addition to her personal artwork, she is part of a collaborative team building large nest installations. The nests range in size from 4 feet to 14 feet. Nest installations have been constructed at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington NC, Cary Arts Center, Visual Arts Exchange in Raleigh, the North Carolina Museum of Art Raleigh NC, the Milton Rhodes Art Center, and Beta Verde in Winston Salem, in addition to many other locations.
Get to know the artist
Leatha Koefler received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati and my Master’s degree from North Carolina State University. She taught Art at Apex High School for twenty years. During that time, she spent summers continuing her education at Savannah College of Art and Design and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her studio practice is primarily working with found materials.
Select exhibit
2023, Pullen Arts Center Gallery, Reframed: Resonance of Retrospect, Raleigh, NC, Solo Exhibit
2023, Imperial Center for the Art, Naturally, Rocky Mount, N.C., two person show with Brenda Brokke
2021, Cameron Art Museum, Nest Project, 16 ft nest installation, Wilmington, N.C., with Brenda Brokke
2021, Emerge Gallery & Arts Center, Greenville, NC, Solo Exhibit
2021, Maria V. Howard Gallery at The Imperial Center for the Arts Museum, Remnants of a Technical World, Rocky Mount, N.C., Solo Show
2017, Block Gallery, Raleigh Municipal Building, Darning Memory, 3 person show: M. Starke & E. Urbanski
2017, Litmus Gallery, Download Exhibit, two person show with Jayne Walther, Raleigh, N.C.
2015, Herb Young Community Center Gallery, Remnants of a Technical World, Cary, NC, Solo show
2015, Red Gallery, The Day the Music Died, Rolesville, NC two person show with Cassie Cousler
2013, Litmus Gallery, Raleigh, N.C., two person show with Brenda Brokke
2012, The Mahler Fine Art Gallery, Rescuing Memories, Raleigh, N.C., Solo show
Awards and Honors
1st Place, 2023 Cameron Art Museum, Art of Illumination, Wilmington, N.C.,
Peoples’ Choice Award, 2022 Illumination, Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, N.C.
Artist Support Grant, 2021, United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, Raleigh Arts, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
1st Place, Illumination 2019, Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, N.C.
Honorable Mention, My Michelle, Yadkin Arts Council 2019 Juried Exhibition
1st Place, 2019 Handcrafted, Maria V. Howard Gallery at the Imperial Center for the Arts Arts Center, Rocky Mount, N.C. Juror W. Earle, SECCA
Merit Award,2016 Scope, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC, Juror D. Fuller, Atlanta Contemporary
2nd Place, 2016 Wilson, N.C. POP, Nest Installation with Brenda Brokke
1st Place, 2015 Cameron Art Museum, Art of Illumination, Wilmington, N.C.,
1st Place, 2015 POP Fuquay Varina, N.C. for Love Nest, Installation with Brenda Brokke
Best Cinema Inspired Artwork, 2015 Scrapel Hill Art Contest and Exhibit VI, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2nd Place 2015 for Comfort Quilt, Visual Art Exchange, Common Goods show, Raleigh
3rd Place, 2014 NCAEA Exhibition, Meredith College, Raleigh, NC
1st Place, 2014 Latitude/Longitude, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC, Juror S. Harbage Page-UNCC
Honorable Mention, 2014 Move, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, N,C., Juror Dana Raymond-NCSU
Regional Artist Project Grant, 2012 United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, Raleigh Arts, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Voted Most Inspirational Teacher by the Apex High class of 2012
Selected to be the mentor -TICA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago 2011
Best in Show - 2008 Art Educator Forum-international exhibit of art, by art teachers, Savannah College of Art and Design
Leatha Koefler explains the origins of her work in this Video interview.
Artist Block interviews are made possible by Raleigh Arts a division of parks and cultural resources.
This website was partially funded by a Regional Artist Project Grant.
“This project is supported by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, Raleigh Arts, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.”
© 2021 by Leatha Koefler
