Julie Peerson Carpenter

Julie Peerson Carpenter

Julie Peerson Carpenter is an artist known for her metal jewelry and full-size welded metal dresses, dubbed "metalwear". She earned her bachelor of fine arts at the University of Montevallo and began fabricating the dresses there as a form of self-portraiture, employing a metal dress form mimicking her own shape.

Over time, the project became more focused on the design of the dresses, rather than the value of the portrait. Fabric patterns are painted onto the sheet metal before it is cut, shaped and welded. She saves the steel scraps from the metalwear to use for jewelry designs.

Carpenter has exhibited her metalwear at many venues in the region, including Bare Hands, Magic City Art Connection, the Kentuck Art Center, and Chattanooga's River Gallery.

Carpenter is the daughter of Marie Peerson, owner of Crosshaven Books.