Cover image: Chandler Sherry's colorful reinterpretation of the beloved Georgia Bulldog has become popular in Athens. (Courtesy/Chandler Sherry) 

Fabric Design alumna Chandler Sherry was featured in an article in the The Red & Black UGA student newspaper titled “UGA alum recaptures the Georgia Bulldog through art”. Read the article written by Margaux Binder below—

With vibrant strokes of yellow, pink, blue and red and dazzling gold embellishments, it’s hard to miss Chandler Sherry’s bulldog artwork that has been popping up throughout Athens.

A fun and youthful take on the age-old Georgia Bulldog, Sherry’s re-imagined bulldog design takes form on canvas, totes, bandanas, stickers, key chains and more. Her eye-catching works are on sale at local stores like Cheeky Peach and The Avenue and hang on the walls of the newly opened Ponko Chicken.

As a recent textile design graduate from the University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art and the UGA Summer Launch Program, Sherry has combined her creative and business abilities to launch her brand, Chan Art.

Along with bulldogs, Sherry creates a multitude of designs and custom pieces and eventually hopes to expand her business to more college campuses with more re-imagined mascot designs.

“I’m providing a colorful side of a memory or a moment of someone’s college experience,” Sherry said.

While she has held pop-up shops at local businesses, including Tribe Hair Company, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, El Barrio and more, her art has spread beyond Athens. Sherry also sells her work throughout the state in Krog Street, Buckhead, Alpharetta, Augusta and Gainesville, Georgia, and on her online shop.

Sherry will be back in Athens on Oct. 15 to host a pop-up shop downtown at Dress Up from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sherry didn’t always want to be an artist. She didn’t take art classes as a child and only began painting during her senior year of high school to relieve stress. Coming to UGA, she considered majoring in marketing.

“One thing led to another in a way… I wasn’t planning on… starting an art business by any means,” Sherry said.

As a senior, Sherry began selling her bulldog prints and noticed that people really seemed to like them. Then, a simple sketch on Sherry’s iPad turned into a business as she began selling her prints at Cheeky Peach and hosting her first pop-up shops.

Aside from Sherry’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, guidance from UGA’s Summer Launch Program and motivation from her parents helped her to kick-start her business. She earned third place in the UGA Entrepreneurship Summer Launch Demo Day in 2022. The program helps student entrepreneurs launch their businesses between semesters.

“My parents are extremely supportive … they were very motivating to me and just saying … ‘You're never gonna have another time in your life to do something like this. You got the momentum, you got the crowd and the people, and people really enjoy it,’” Sherry said.

Sherry also sells her art at the Purple House Gallery, a frame shop and art gallery in Gainesville, Georgia. Emma Ragan, gallery director at the Purple House Gallery, said many customers are UGA alumni and get very excited about the large embellished bulldog prints and small bulldog canvas pieces.

“Who doesn't love UGA? And who doesn't want a fun bulldog like that in their house?” Ragan said.

Sherry’s pieces are some of the most popular items on the shop’s online store and customers inquire about them frequently, Ragan said. The art has a “young and fun” nature that gives them a unique appeal, she added.

“They're not traditional. They're so bold, they're so colorful,” Ragan said.

Sherry achieves this look by using many layers of mixed media and experimenting with different colorways. She describes her style as “collage-like” and “imperfect.”

Sherry is grateful for the support that she has felt in the local community and recognizes the vital role that Athens has played in her success.

“Just thank you to the people of Athens who have supported me .. Everyone that’s bought a print or a sticker… every time something’s sold or put on their laptop or hung in their room… it's like a little part of Chan Art is somewhere in the world and it’s a really cool feeling,” Sherry said.