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Southern-born artist Tracie Thornton, who works under the name Thorn, is multi-faceted; using jewelry design, printmaking, performance, bookbinding, origami, sculpture, and collage as her media. She has a distinctive interest in recycling discarded items and believes strongly giving something a second life. The elements that Thornton uses in her work have been collected from all over. It may be something found in a market in Benin, on a city sidewalk, or something from everyday life that provide the components to complete a piece. 

Tracie's summers spent traveling the eastern coast of the U.S. with her family and study abroad in Italy during college rank high on her list of artistic inspirations, but it is her time spent in the Peace Corps that moved her to think more freely and organically about her work.

Tracie found treasures in the markets in West and Central Africa where she completed her Peace Corps service. She felt compelled to collect beads and fabrics, integral to the artistic foundations of many African countries, for future unknown projects. It wasn't until she moved to Philadelphia she knew what she'd use those beads for. While in between projects, Thornton began experimenting with jewelry. Love of jewelry and her own vintage treasury moved her to begin creating her own collections of personal adornment. Realizing personal adornment could mean more than just decoration was a turning point in Thornton's career.


Thornton's personal artwork isn't the only art important to her. Art advocacy is something she truly hopes will be part of her legacy. Art Guardian (which was vetted at the OneSpark Crowdfunding Festival) is Thornton's project dedicated to the preservation of traditional and indigenous arts in danger of disappearing, it is inspired by her work abroad. Her work with Art in Public Places through the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville is also something Thornton is proud of. Her goal is "public art for everyone", especially those for places she feels need the hope that art brings the most.

Thornton has always known she would graduate from her childhood drawings to career artist. Her goal is to change the way someone looks at the world and to show that there is beauty in our similarities as well as our differences. She focuses on the themes of religious symbolism, familial connections, nomadic tendencies, and spiritual metamorphosis. Her emphasis is on ethnic, cultural, and historical artistic heritage. 

Thornton has exhibited her work private and public around the United States including the Museum of Modern Art at Jacksonville. Her work is in a number of private collections in the U.S., Canada, and Australia and is in the public collection of the University of Florida.

Tracie Thornton earned degrees in Printmaking and Graphic Design from University of Florida. She also studied at Florida State College at Jacksonville, University of North Florida as well as Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia.

  • thorn
    This is how you rock it when you don’t have any woodworking clamps... Note to self: buy #woodworking clamps.… https://t.co/amjvxsEFtD
    about 3 days ago
  • thorn
    The #Jacksonville and St. Augustine #arts communities are lucky to be able to claim Grace as one of their own. https://t.co/dzSFjBNcdk
    about 6 days ago
  • thorn
    No my car isn’t dirty. It’s an ongoing #art project on the passage of time and the idea of dirt as a tangible and i… https://t.co/YWbFY9x0WB
    about a week ago
  • thorn
    #Thrilled that some of the young #artists from @Monet_Ballet will be featured in a special piece during my upcoming… https://t.co/sWspGB7WOz
    about a week ago
  • thorn
    Look @FLGovScott cuts #artsfunding in Florida, what will happen to the rest of the country? Vote @SenBillNelson… https://t.co/SQ8YppAz4o
    about 2 weeks ago
  • thorn
    RT @voguemagazine: The town of Lalibela is worthy of far more international attention than it gets. Here is our guide. https://t.co/HXW3tAOpyi
    about 2 weeks ago
  • thorn
    Such a powerful story. Remembering the victims is part of the journey toward healing. Unfortunately, the tendrils o… https://t.co/VwXMyNIjbT
    about 2 weeks ago
  • thorn
    https://t.co/14diwQKxo7
    about 2 weeks ago
  • thorn
    I have been thoroughly enjoying #jaxpublicartweek2018 I’ve met some great people, seen some… https://t.co/K2pjsU3uxj
    about 2 weeks ago
  • thorn
    At discount store fixtures looking for some stuff I need for the show. Great place to find #used… https://t.co/CZOsOjeJMD
    about 2 weeks ago

So I’ve been posting a little about it but here are the official invites!! Bit.ly/playplayshow #designed by yours truly. Why two images? I couldn’t make up my mind that’s why! It was fun trying to figure out how to convey what the work in the show is about. The first image is vintage. Boy and girl #playinghouse Pretty #traditional + #stereotypical The second image is an image of a little brown girl #paperdoll which I didn’t find a whole lot of. Overall the show addressees how some of the #games we play as #children we continue into #adulthood with not always positive results. We can talk more about it when I see you there!  #photooftheday #art #artshow #sculpture #performance #instaart #instagood #graphicdesign #design #artlife #artlove #thornartist #theurbanatelier
I have been thoroughly enjoying #jaxpublicartweek2018 I’ve met some great people, seen some #amazing #arts projects and seen first hand the #passion for #artsadvocacy here in #jacksonville Special thanks to those who came out yesterday to #support my project as well. There’s still more stuff on the schedule! Check out culturalcouncil.org for details. #moreartculture  #jaxpaw2018 #photooftheday #mural #muralart #artlovers #artlife #renewedcommunity
At discount store fixtures looking for some stuff I need for the show. Great place to find #used items. I realized I am super #fascinated by #mannequin heads. They are aloof. #elegant They’re always staring at #you but mostly through you. In that first picture that mannequin, she is definitely talking about you... #art #photooftheday #photography #playplayshow #sculpture #reincarnatesomething
#imagination is one of the most fantastical creations of the #universe  But still this time last year I would never have imagined I would be making a #wig from #recycled #plastic bags 😏 This is for my show coming up in May: bit.ly/playplayshow  This isn’t finished, but I thought #inprocess it looked pretty cool. I’m kinda in #love with it at this stage but want to see it done as well. Also, I’ve got a newfound #respect for #wigmaking #photooftheday #reincarnatesomething #artreincarnated #secondlife #thornartist #theurbanatelier #playplayshow #art #sculpture #instaart
More #favorite pictures from today. #marchforourlives #photooftheday #jacksonville
So proud of #jacksonville youth who organized today to make their voices heard and the adults who support them. Continuing the #history of political demonstration for #positivechange of course one of my favorite parts were the #homemade signs #marchforourlives
#marchforourlives
The last of my time in #washington #dc and #virginia So much #publicart so little time! I find that every time I go back to DC I see things a little differently. This was my first time seeing the #monuments on and surrounding the #nationalmall as public art. Interestingly I don’t think most of us believe a monument is synonymous for #art #deepthoughts •The #martinlutherkingjr memorial almost brought me to tears • #love the design of the #africanamericanmuseum but that joint is hard to get into! Maybe next time! • This #mlk #quote is my new personal mantra: “Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.” • In the #nationalgallerysculpturegarden The deteriorating gloden ball artist I believe had a piece at #mocajax the other #sculpture is #Eros • its amazing to see how #theawakening has become a center of activity since it was moved from a sleepy little park • #nationalgallerysculpturegarden • #barbarakruger exhibit • there’s a #peeps store!! I don’t eat them but obviously loads of other folks do... #instaart #photooftheday #photography #video #instagood
Though my short time on the road isn’t quite over (and I have to get back to the rest of my world) there is still a #bestof that needs to be shown of my time in Detroit, #DC and Virginia! • my first time actually going inside the #lincolnmemorial • #birthday #celebration for a fellow #americorps member • a bouncer that decided to take pictures of himself when I asked him to take pics of himself with my phone #kookalicious • my first time witnessing to #art involved in the #chocolate and in the #packaging at #bonbonbon • #welcome to #detroit • a #volunteer event at #gleanersfoodbank • one of my #favorite #publicart pieces • finally meeting my friend Abigail’s #family !! •last but not least the public art in Detroit #love #instaart #instagood #instatravel #photooftheday #video #photography
Just can’t leave #Detroit behind! I ran into Detroiter Rick Worthy at the  Lincoln Memorial in #DC ! Anyone who knows me well knows how much I #love almost anything sci-fi. A great #surprise to run into someone from one of my #favorite shows The Magicians. I wasn’t going to be a full on #fangirl but at the end I couldn’t help it! I was great talking to you Rick 😊 #photooftheday #themagicians #instagood #instalike #fangirling #scifi #syfy #washington
This is how much of a #graphicdesign #nerd I am! I #see it everywhere. Even when I’m not looking for it. Absolutely in #love with Detroit’s walls. In the video it’s not what’s being said that’s important it’s all of the stuff on the walls and the signs!!! The neon and posters are from this really great restaurant Go! Sy Thai #obsessed #instaart #instagood #inspiration #detroit #painting #neon #posters #posterart
Just saw one of my top five favorite pieces of public #sculpture #amazing #spiritofdetroit #detroit #bestoftheday #instaart #instagood #photooftheday #publicart #art #artlove #love

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