Get to Know Our Contemporary Carnegie Artists

Sara Hall
Senior Designer, Carnegie

My artistic exploration outside of the studio is beading. I started in college and never looked back. What attracted me to this technique is its meticulous nature. I find a lot of peace in the rhythm of it, it's almost like a form of meditation. It is a very time consuming art form that requires a lot of patience and forethought. I often think about how in life there is a demand for speed and efficiency, but when I am working on my artwork time really slows down. The other thing is there is nothing at stake, if I make a mistake, it's okay, there's no consequence, I can just undo it or restart, which is kind of satisfying. Like when in life do you actually get a fresh start on anything?

I try to explore different types of design in this process, often inspired by my state of mind. Some pieces are more organic and free flowing whereas others are very planned out and structured, requiring a lot of precision. I think being able to adapt to different styles has been extremely helpful with my job at Carnegie. Being the senior designer, a lot of my role is determining what the market is missing, where can we fill in and executing that, working custom designs that are drawn from client inspiration and needs for their particular space, etc. I find a lot of excitement in being able to bring other people's vision to life and the adaptability based on different requirements has really benefited from my outside exploration in beading. 

Megan Stanton
Senior Graphic Designer, Kirei

Being creative has been a helpful outlet in expressing myself and allowing the inner mysteries and emotions to find a voice when words can’t be found. I love process art and having remnants of the process seen in art. I took this creative passion a step further and received an art degree from the University of California Irvine. I had a teacher/artist tell me once, “You can have all the talent in the world, but you're not going to get far without cultivating it”. I’m grateful for teachers and artists like her who taught me how to direct creative expression and develop my artistic voice.

Today I work mostly in mixed-media sculpture with a focus on color, light, and texture. My main inspiration is around nature, architecture, the human body, and my spirituality. I fell in love with life casting after finding a great community of artists in San Diego while I was in college. One of them was a biker who sold dental supplies and he taught me how to do this art form. (Funny enough you use a lot of dental supplies for life casting.)

Lifecasting is essentially mold making of the human body, which is a work of art in itself. Through the mold making process, a lifecast sculpture reveals a lot about a person you don’t always see - the imperfections and perfections. This unique exposure provides an opportunity for the viewer to look past the temptation of objectifying the body or placing a value on the body, to instead seeing the beauty of a life story being told through that body. This is why I love lifecasting so much, because it allows for a different lens for beauty and shows that every “body” is a unique and beautiful sculpture. This project was for a European jeweler who had a show room in the Gaslamp Quarter of downtown San Diego. She commissioned me to do two plaster lifecast pieces to show her work. 

Jeremy Priola
Acoustic Product Engineer, Kirei

I was born in Buffalo, New York. From an early age, I found myself drawn to art in unconventional ways. I was particularly fascinated by tattoos, fantasy, and the idea of self-expression through visual storytelling. My artistic interests also extended to exploring themes that challenge societal norms, shaping the work I create today.

My hearing impairment has played a significant role in shaping both my life and my artistic journey. Due to underdeveloped hearing as a child, I faced challenges with verbal communication and was largely nonverbal before starting school. As a result, I naturally turned to creative expression, using my hands instead of words to communicate my thoughts and emotions. The sense of isolation I sometimes experienced gave me a unique perspective, allowing me to develop an artistic voice that was uninfluenced by traditional social expectations.

I sometimes reflect on the joy I felt as a child when one of my concrete creations dried—it was permanent, functional, and complete. I feel that same satisfaction with ceramics today. Once a piece comes out of the kiln, it can’t be undone; it exists as a finished expression of my creativity. 

The creative process doesn’t stop when the workday ends, it’s woven into everything we do. Our teams’ personal artistic journeys inform design, challenge conventions, and bring fresh perspectives to our work. We celebrate the intersection of art and innovation, knowing that great design starts with passion.

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Alexis Wagman is the Content Marketing Specialist at Carnegie. Passionate about what connects all of us, she seeks to leverage creative Marketing and design to communicate real stories.