spivey knapik - artist and producer

Human existence is a web of stories. The ways we craft our politics, relationships, and sense of self are strung through with the tangled truths and excuses we spin in narrative. Through my work I endeavor to crawl through that web, be that by image, word, or sound.

I was born and raised in sticky climes of Northeast Florida, in a city that smelled like coffee, azaleas, and salt. From there I spent a few years studying art and religion in North Carolina's Piedmont, surrounded by hills and trees. Until 2019 I worked as a screen printer and audio producer in the corn-flush flatland of Des Moines, Iowa. I have returned to the study of art and religion, this time in Nashville, TN, where I'm studying for my Masters of Theological Studies while maintaining an active visual + audio practice.

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While in Des Moines, I co-founded a social justice working group at the Episcopal Cathedral, which continues to be an active part of the Iowa Sanctuary Movement. I co-founded and organized the first annual Organ + Art show, also at the Cathedral, showcasing the work of visual artists from across the Des Moines community. I also served on the Commission on Ministry for the Diocese, acting on an advisory board to the Bishop regarding all those seeking ordination in the Diocese of Iowa.

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From 2014-16. I directed and produced for WXYC Reports, a monthly radio documentary show on WXYC Chapel Hill, a position wherein I was responsible for training and organizing the production team, hosting, mixing, and setting the creative direction, as well as producing my own monthly pieces from interview to final mix.

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From 2016-2019 I worked as the producer of Like Micah (likemicah.libsyn.com), a position for which I recorded, edited, mixed, scripted, and published a fortnightly storytelling podcast.

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During that same period, I also worked as an audio engineer for the Black Lunch Table (blacklunchtable.com), doing intensive audio clean up on outdoor round table discussions.

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In 2018 I designed the curriculum for and taught a class on DIY Audio Documentary for the Des Moines Social Club, where students learned the basics of storytelling and audio production using using their phone to record and Audacity to edit.

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Currently I am working on consumedxx (see side bar).

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I am adept at Hindenburg Journalist, Adobe Audition, and Audacity and am amember of the Association of Independents in Radio.

Education 

2012 -  2016

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. BA Studio Art and Religious Studies.

2019-2021

Vanderbilt Divinity School, Masters of Theological Studies.

Awards 

2019

Brandon Honor Scholarship, Vanderbilt University

2018

Sonic South Finalist, Southern Oral History Project

2015

The George Kachergis Studio Art Scholarship

2014

Phi Beta Kappa inductee

2012

State of Florida Parliamentary Debate Champion, American Forensics Association

Exhibitions 

Contact Me

svspivey at pm dot me