• Ashley Beard is a practicing artist and art teacher who works in acrylics, ceramics, jewelry-making, and mixed media.  She loves teaching art to people of all ages--high school students at South Pointe, after-school lessons to elementary children and adult painting classes at her Getty’s Art Studio located downtown Rock Hill. 

    After graduating Northwestern in 1996, she attended Wofford College to study Biology and play for the women’s soccer team.  While she loved the college and playing soccer, she quickly learned that her true passion was art.  The “art in her heart” led to a transfer to Winthrop University where she happily studied and created art, worked part-time at a children’s after-school program and eventually graduated with a degree in Art Education. 

    Her career objective is to provide creative studio art lessons in a nurturing environment that will foster a life-long appreciation for art and an understanding of the creative design process.  She enjoys involvement in community art projects and loves to see her students succeed.  When she’s not making or teaching art, she likes to spend time enjoying the outdoors with her husband and dog. 

    Notable Achievements:

    • Outstanding First Year Teacher of the Year, CMS Smith Language Academy, 2004
    • AP Studio Art Certification, USC Upstate, 2008
    • AP Studio Art Instructor Exhibition, Greenville Museum of Art, 2008
    • Stallion Gumball Mural, 6’x24’, South Pointe High School, 2010
    • “Artists of Tomorrow” Art Exhibition, York Tech, 2011
    • Gifted and Talented Endorsement, Converse College, 2014
    • Board of Directors, Arts Council of York County, 2015-present
    • Unity Mural, large-scale public collaborative mural, downtown Rock Hill, 2015
    • Commissioned 4’x5’ Acrylic Painting, Clinton private collection, 2016
    • York County Teaching Artists Exhibition, LOOM Gallery Fort Mill, 2016