Life has been anything but boring for Berry Bate ’75. The New York City native grew up taking in the latest theatrical and operatic productions and often dreamed of taking her place in the glow of the spotlight on center stage. But a funny thing happened on the way to the green room.

As she intended, she majored in music at Converse. One day between classes, however, she walked into Mac Boggs’s studio and was introduced to the wonderful world of metalwork. Music instantly had a rival for her attention. “I knew how to arrange musically, so when it came to metal I just had to figure out how to arrange visually.”

After graduation, she spent several years teaching music and related arts courses around the country. But her love for working with metal was calling—and it had a loud voice.

In 1980, she founded Asheville Ironworks in Waynesville, N.C. and focused on fencing and sculptures. Her reputation was almost immediately established and she hasn’t been wanting for work ever since. Her client roster includes the Biltmore Estate, the Nathaniel Russell House in Charleston, and the Market Hall, also in Charleston.

She has since sold Asheville Ironworks and has started her business all over again. Based in Asheville, N.C., Sculpture by Berry Bate will focus exclusively on artwork. Customers of Berry’s can be assured that her products are custom made. “When I agree to work for a client, I want to get to know them. Not just what type of piece they’re wanting, but what their personality is like. I want the art to reflect their personality.”

Berry was recently commissioned by the College to sculpt a Converse tower replica for Mary Lib Hamilton ’57, former director of alumnae. In January, she unveiled a sculpture for the town of Glendale to commemorate the business revival of the Spartanburg community.

Colleen (McCormick) Zralek ’95 loves art. She has studied it, created it, and traveled the world to experience it. And now she wants other people to share in her love with art.

In the spring of 2002, she created Art Odysseys, a personal travel company that provides learning adventures with a focus on the in-depth study of the visual arts. The itinerary has included trips to Tuscany, Berlin, Venice, and Spain. “I know these places very well,” she says. In fact, as she spoke with Connections, she had just returned from Tuscany and Berlin where she scouted various locations for Odyssey trips. “I’ve designed trips that focus on small groups, individual attention, and thoughtfully designed itineraries. I want these trips to provide the traveler with what I have experienced: memories and inspiration for a lifetime.” Although the separate trips are designed for adults, Colleen has also designed a special trip especially for college students, which will count as course credit.

In addition to her developing her own company, Colleen remains devoted to her own art and to teaching others. Among her recent shows, she received Juror's Choice award by juror Robert Stackhouse at the Hunter Museum of Art. She currently teaches Watkins College of Art and Design in Nashville, Tenn., and Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.

To learn more about Art Odysseys, log onto www.artodysseys.net

For 30-year-old Molly Fortune ’93, things couldn’t have worked out any better. She can’t say exactly why she chose to come to Converse College, but she can say with certainty that she’s glad she did.

“The small classes and the female kinship were exactly what I needed,” said the Atlanta native. “We were all there to learn.”

Molly earned her degree in Art/Interior Design and went on to graduate first in her class from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1999, specializing in historic preservation. With her husband in the military, Molly went to work as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense at two military installations in Georgia. “My job was to help with the research and preservation of World War II era buildings which included complete inventories and restorations.”

Their work with the military complete, Molly and her husband moved back to Atlanta where she was promptly named the Preservation Department Manager for the historic Fox Theatre. Current projects involve Molly and her staff renovating the theatre’s skylight, storefront, and decorative ceilings. “I guess you could say I’m among the luckiest people in the world because I’m doing the exact type of work I want to do.”

When asked how her Converse experience prepared her for life after college, Molly was quick to point to the faculty and her fellow students. “It was very obvious that Frazer Pajak possessed a true love for his work, and to be around someone like him during such an important time in my life was wonderful. And the healthy competition shared among the students made us all want to excel.”

Nancy O'Dell-Keim '92 is a professional artist who is currently the Director of The Greendoor Studio & Art School, a visual art school that offers a variety of art classes to children and adults. She served as Visiting Artist (2000-2001) and Gallery Director (2000-2002) at Converse College. Additionally, during the 2003-2004 academic year, Mrs. O'Dell-Keim was a Visiting Painting Instructor for The South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities Residential School.

Since 1990, she has participated in numerous exhibitions such as the Upstate Artists' Invitational at the Greenville Art Museum and Gallery 5 Emerging Artists. She has won multiple top honors such as The Juror's Award at the 25th Annual Juried SC Artists Exhibition at the Pickens County Museum of Art, The Purchase Award at The Anderson County Art Center 24th Annual Juried Exhibition, and First Place in Professional Division at The South Carolina State Fair.

Mrs. O'Dell-Keim chose Converse because it offered a Bachelor of Fine Arts major and because the Converse College Department of Art and Design has a strong reputation, personable professors, and small classes. She was was also awarded an athletic scholarship for tennis. After receiving a BFA degree from Converse College, she earned a MFA from Clemson University in 1995 which led to adjunct professor positions at Gardner-Webb University, NC; Tri-County Technical College, SC; SC Governor's School for the Arts And Humanities summer programs(Academy and Honors);and eventually Converse College. Mrs. O'Dell-Keim will be teaching Drawing I and Painting I at Converse during the 2004-2005 academic year.

Below, the artist describes her work:

"My work celebrates and exposes different aspects of my life such as relationships, emotions, parenthood, fears, life changes, passing of time, memories and connections with women. The works are strongly grounded in a domestic realm referencing Feminist artists such as Miriam Shapiro and my own struggle with identity and responsibilities.

I have progressed from painting or drawing the house form and "filling" it with figures, to using house shaped formats. Although the house repeated through the body of work is somewhat cliched, I am interested in its generic and psychological symbolism. I am also interested in the comparison between house as a structure verses home as an intimate setting.These shaped formats in both large and small scale emphasize interiors and exteriors through a variety of media. The decorative, sentimental objects combined with paint create an initial feeling of harmony contrasted with subtle tensions that produce an intentional uneasiness. People 'bring to the table' different views of home. The view of home in these works portrays a duality, serving as both a haven and a hell." View her work.