Bedrock by Kaitlyn Derrah

Artist Statement

My love of nature has allowed me to realize that we are much like the vast network of mycelium connecting individual plants and helping them to share the life-giving nutrients a forest needs to grow.

Something that we don't often think about are the things that inspire us and help us grow into who we are as people. The bedrock that makes up our foundation is built on the numerous influential people who we come across in our lives. More often than not, we don't recall exactly who they are or how they shaped us, but they are there with us in our networks, nurturing seeds that we store away and that grow and ignite into an inspirational thought at the moment when we need it most.

These people are the foundation of who we are today. They are the stepping stones guiding us along an ever-twisting path of ups and downs. They are precious influences in our lives, even though we do not always have awareness of how they contributed to who we have become. We need to make sure we nurture the seeds they sow in us because one day they will grow into something wonderful.

- Kaitlyn Derrah, 2024

Biography 

Kaitlyn Derrah is the technician for the Jewelry/Metal Arts Studio at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. As a multi-media enthusiast, she experiments with various techniques and materials exploring the combination of natural and industrial world.

Kaitlyn holds a Diploma of Fine Craft in Jewellery/Metal Arts from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design (NBCCD) in Fredericton, NB, a Bachelor of Applied Arts Degree from the University of New Brunswick (UNB), and a diploma in carpentry from New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) St. Andrews.

In 2022, Kaitlyn won the Best collection award at the 15th annual jewellery/metal arts Sterling exhibition at Government House, Fredericton, NB.

She is the winner of the 19th annual National Jewellery Student Competition at L.A. Pai Gallery, Ottawa, ON; the first from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. She is also the recipient of the 2022 Arts Infrastructure Grant for New and Emerging Artists competition, ArtsNB, New Brunswick.