Sunset Inn & Cottages is a Midcentury Modern Motel in Treasure Island Florida by {v}erdigreen hotels. Over the span of a few months we renovated this property's surface design, and I was the Junior Designer/Resident Artist on site.
Hotel Mountain Brook is a Rustic Adirondack Hotel in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York by {v}erdigreen hotels. For months on and off over the span of two years, we renovated this property and I was the Junior Designer/Resident Artist on site.
Marrero's Guest Mansion is a Hollywood Regency Style Hotel in Key West, Florida by {v}erdigreen hotels. Over a few months in the summer of 2021 we renovated this property and I was the Junior Designer/Resident Artist on site.
Silver Maple Farm is a European Farmhouse Style B&B in East Chatham, NY between the Catskills & Berkshires by {v}erdigreen hotels. Over the year of 2021 we renovated this property, while I was on site as the Junior Designer/Resident Artist through a couple months in the fall & spring.
Twin Gables of Woodstock is a B&B in Woodstock by {v}erdigreen hotels. Over the years of 2019 & 2020 we renovated this property, while I was on site as the Junior Designer/Resident Artist.
Whether freelance design projects, paintings & murals, resin/beaded jewelry, hand-bound books, or up-cycled clothing & furniture, 'chelsea bednar design' is home base to all my artistic endeavors.
Passion projects to note include my curated 'thrifting & small maker shopping guides'. In recent years my work has expanded into content creation, sharing my work and process online more consistently. As a creative outlet I began conceptualizing, styling, and self shooting photoshoots promoting various small brands, which has led to a few collaboration & ambassadorships with other small brands. It's exciting to team up with other creators, promoting handmade and shopping small.
Before there was {v}erdigreen hotels, there was a little shop. In 2018/19 I worked at {verdigreen} , an interior design/paint shop where we sold Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, up-cycled furniture, designed seasonal window displays, hosted classes and seasonal events. {verdigreen} moved onto bigger goals of being a boutique hotel brand, and my work with them continued as the resident artist / junior designer on location.
For a few months in 2019 I backpacked through Europe, staying in the UK for two months on a Workaway Program. Bootmaker's Workshop is a creation studio in Wincanton, Somerset that focuses on imaginative ways to utilize recycled & donated materials for projects, classes, window displays, and more. Through this experience I made great friends from all over the world, collaborating with other creatives in a richly unique environment.
From 2013-2017 I attended The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from the Design & Production Department with a major in Scenic Design.
I designed two realized productions, 'Good' & 'Side Show'. Design responsibilities included everything from concept design to production pitches, scenic renderings, scale model building to mock ups, drafting packets, team meetings, working within an extreme budget, overseeing production teams, and theatre photography.
The summer of 2016 I was the sole Scenic Designer & Scenic Painter for Savannah Children's Theatre, where the summer-stock included a total of six children's productions just over the span of two months. Concept design to sourcing, painting, installation, production break down and clean up all fell under my list of responsibilities.
In 2011 I attended the University of North Carolina's High School Program, graduating in 2013 from the Visual Arts Department with a major in Fine Arts. This program is under the Design & Production department, but exclusive to the on-campus high school. Within the first year, the VA program focuses on a development of basic knowledge of traditional drawing, design, and sculpture. The second year advances to concept creation, live figure drawing, traditional painting techniques, and developing your personal voice as an emerging artist. Within this program I was awarded multiple Silver and Gold Key Awards from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2013 for portraiture and soft sculpture. Upon graduation, I was awarded the Visual Arts Department's full scholarship to study Book Binding for a session at Penland School of Crafts.
