My Own Fairy Tale: Works by Stacy Clark
Stacy Clark Biography
After graduating from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1979 with a BA in Illustration, Stacy Cooper Clark worked as an editorial illustrator while developing her interest in fiber arts, quilting, and sewing. Inspired by 18th and 19th century dolls, Stacy began combining her skills to create three-dimensional illustrations: cloth figures depicting characters from folk lore, holiday traditions, and literature. Her early work focused on holiday figures – Santas, Belsnickels and European gift givers, and interpretations of harvest and Halloween characters.
In 1990, after the donation of her interpretation of a c.1885 American Santa to a charity auction, Stacy received private commissions, placement in local shops, invitations to craft shows, and began her own small business dubbed "Stacy's Santas" by her customers and collectors. Soon Stacy moved onto more characters from literature and began an in-depth study of fairy tales from around the world.
In 2005, Stacy cut back on craft shows to focus on solo exhibits interpreting characters from children's literature. Stacy's other works in quilting, garment making, and needlework as well as her figures have received numerous awards and are included in private collections across the U.S. and in Germany, The Netherlands, and England. Her work has been featured in "Art Doll Quarterly" and is listed in the Early American Life Holiday Directory of Traditional American Crafts. She is a member with juried status in the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and has participated in numerous juried craft shows including Der Belsnickel, The Highlands, and the Franklin and Marshall Holiday exhibit.
Stacy's recent competitions and exhibits
Art of the Doll – 2006
Tachona Park Quilted Post Cards – 2006
National Small Art Quilt Works – 2006
Hoffman Challenge – 2006, 2007
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center – 2005, 2006, 2008
Art Doll Quarterly – 2007
Early American Life Directory of Crafts – 2007
Piecework Excellence in Needle Arts – 2008