Events

Vault | May 21st — July 11th | Opening Reception: May 21st from 5:30pm — 8:30pm

Artist Statement:

Wildlife in Wool: An Animal Scavenger Hunt

Step into a playful world of discovery at Wildlife in Wool, an interactive art exhibition featuring needle felted animals inspired by the wildlife of South Carolina. Hidden throughout the vault, these lifelike wool sculptures invite visitors to become explorers as they search for birds, mammals, and other creatures that call the region home.

Created through the intricate process of needle felting, each sculpture captures the character, movement, and personality of the animals it represents. As visitors move through the exhibition, they are encouraged to look closely, investigate their surroundings, and see how many animals they can find along the way.

Designed especially for children—and the young at heart—this exhibition turns the gallery into an imaginative scavenger hunt. A special “petting zoo” area allows visitors to gently touch and interact with select fiber animals, offering a hands-on opportunity to experience the textures and artistry of needle felting up close.

Wildlife in Wool is both an art exhibition and an adventure—an invitation to explore, observe, and celebrate the incredible animals that share our world.

Artist Bio

Sarah Mitchell is a fiber artist who creates lifelike sculptures of birds and animals through the process of needle felting. Using a small barbed needle to repeatedly interlock wool fibers, she carefully builds each sculpture layer by layer, creating detailed forms with a soft, realistic finish.

Each piece begins with a wire armature that provides structure and allows the sculpture to be posed in natural, expressive ways. Mitchell then blends and shapes wool fibers over the frame, gradually building texture, color, and form until the animal comes to life.

Her work is deeply influenced by the natural world. Through careful observation of wildlife, she studies how animals sit, rest, and move, translating those subtle gestures into fiber. Her goal is not only to capture the appearance of the animal, but also its character and sense of motion—creating sculptures that feel as though they could step or take flight from their wooden mounts at any moment.

Her work is currently represented by galleries in South Carolina including Art on the Square Gallery in Summerville, Charleston Fine Craft Gallery in Charleston, and the South Carolina Artisans Center in Walterboro.

Facebook: Wooly Wildlife
Instagram: @Wooly_Wildlife
Website: www.woolywildlife.com