Where Light Meets Nature: Meredith Connelly on Art, Technology & Transformation

About Me – Meredith Connelly

Meredith Connelly is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, best known for her grand-scale installations that emphasize the interplay of light, science, and technology. Connelly’s illuminated, site-specific displays – complete with interactive elements – connect and submerge viewers into glowing, otherworldly environments. Developed from and influenced by the organic qualities of nature, Connelly’s structures are formed using manufactured materials that are able to accurately capture the elaborate detail of the natural world, while also supporting environmental sustainability. Having worked with lighting and technology as a material for over a decade, Connelly has built a practice that has not only captured national attention but has engaged hundreds of thousands of participants in the evocative and inclusive power of public art.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, Connelly’s affinity for art blossomed during childhood, as she played with clay and her first microscope. Prior to graduating from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, Connelly also spent formative years in Paris, France, which further impassioned her pursuit of the arts

Accoladed for its ingenuity, Connelly’s artwork has been exhibited in prestigious museums across the southeast, acquired into both private and corporate collections, and honored in Liza Robert’s NC-centric book, Art of the State. Connelly’s work has been selected for public projects and awards both regionally and nationally, with major projects and honors including: 2021 and 2022 LIGHTS (U.S. National Whitewater Center); Fairy Ring Permanent Public Installation (Charlotte, NC); the Arts and Science Council’s (ASC) Community Supported Arts Program; the 2021 US Bank-sponsored I Heart Rail Trail Lights; Charlotte SHOUT! through CLT Center City Partners; the 2020 Emerging Creators Fellowship; the 2022 Knight Foundation Art + Tech Expansion Grant; and 2022 and 2023 ASC Cultural Vision Grants.

Most recently, Connelly was commissioned to create another permanent public installation through the City of Charlotte, slated for 2023/2024. Connelly’s public art installations have also traveled to Charleston, SC, and Nashville, TN, with future national projects on the horizon of 2024 and beyond.

In both her personal and professional realms, Connelly is committed to expanding community and culture through the arts, is an advocate for equality and women in the arts, and places great emphasis on supporting emerging and underrepresented femme, BIPOC, and LQBTQIA+ artists in all stages of their careers. Connelly has also broadened her practice to include curation, developing and executing art exhibitions attached to causes and communities about which she is passionate.

Connelly is currently based in the Lake Norman area just outside of Charlotte, NC, where she lives with her husband and three daughters, and is active in her home studio.

Illuminating Art and Healing: Meredith Connelly on Oui Talk Raw

When light meets creativity, it transforms not only spaces but also the people who encounter it. In this inspiring episode of Oui Talk Raw on rBeatz.com, host Jennifer Busco sits down with multidisciplinary artist and curator Meredith Connelly. Known for hed transformation.

From Science and Nature to Artistry

Meredith describes her artistic inspiration as rooted in the intersection of science, nature, and technology. She crafts illuminated sculptures that live in forests, public trails, and unexpected urban spaces, as well as delicate, hand-cut paperworks inspired by microscopic organisms.

• Childhood in both science (from her father) and ceramics (from her mother) nurtured her love for experimentation.
• Early struggles with confidence shaped her role as a mentor to other artists.
• Using light as a material for over 15 years, she views it as both energy and metaphor: “Light itself is energy… before they even realize they’re interacting with it, the art is already reaching and touching them.”

The Power of Light and Nature

Jennifer and Meredith explore the deeper symbolism of light, shadow, and mushrooms — recurring elements in her work. Mushrooms, with their mycelial networks, inspire her as natural communicators and healers of Earth. Meredith explains how light is more than illumination: it creates thresholds, alters perception, and connects people universally. “Without light, there’s no shadow… that liminal space in between is also part of the work and the art.”

A Process Rooted in Ritual

Meredith’s creative process is a blend of science, structure, and spirituality. Jennifer connects this to her background in energy healing, recognizing Meredith as a true “light worker.”

• Every project begins with walking outdoors and listening to the land.
• In the studio, she grounds herself by lighting candles, ringing bells, and setting intentional energy before creating.
• Though installations require logistics, engineering, and planning, the making stage becomes deeply meditative and intuitive.

Challenges and Lessons for Emerging Artists

Meredith is candid about the less glamorous side of being an artist. She also emphasizes the importance of contracts, professionalism, and valuing one’s work fairly — lessons she learned through trial and error.

• Confidence and self-worth were her biggest early challenges.
• The business side — contracts, budgets, negotiations — is essential.
• Networking should be authentic: “Every interaction is an opportunity to connect in a genuine way.”
• She urges young artists to declare themselves as artists now, not to wait for external validation.

Art as Healing and Social Commentary

Beyond sculpture, Meredith curates exhibitions addressing pressing social issues:

• Not in Repose (after Roe v. Wade reversal)
• Unbound: Art by Survivors of Domestic Assault
• Sovereign: Honoring Bodily Autonomy

These projects use art as a visual language for collective healing and dialogue, shining light on topics often left in the shadows.

Advice for Budding Artists

When asked what advice she would give, Meredith kept it simple but powerful:

• Be yourself — authenticity is key.
• Work hard and stay dedicated to your practice.
• Balance creativity with professionalism.
• Trust intuition — it rarely leads you wrong.

She reminds listeners that success didn’t come overnight: her large public installations came after a decade of consistent work.

Looking Ahead

Meredith’s goals are both global and community-centered:

• Create illuminated installations around the world.
• Continue uplifting emerging and marginalized artists through curatorial work.
• Upcoming projects include a sculpture garden in Mint Hill, participation in the McColl Center Contemporaries program, and a major illuminated installation at Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington.

Her passion for building community through art is as strong as her drive to create new works.

Key Takeaways from Meredith Connelly on Oui Talk Raw

• Art is both healing and transformative, for the creator and the audience.
• Light is energy — symbolic, universal, and deeply human.
• Confidence and business skills are just as important as creativity for artists.
• Ritual and mindfulness play a role in grounding the creative process.
• Art can spark conversations around complex social issues.
• Success requires authenticity, persistence, and self-worth.

✨ Want to experience Meredith’s work? Visit meredithconnelly.com or follow her on Instagram @meredith.connelly to explore her illuminated worlds and upcoming projects.