We were lucky to catch up with Jamie Owens recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jamie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My artistic journey began in second grade, thanks to the insight of my teacher, Mrs. Kelly. She saw a spark of creative potential in me and encouraged my mom to nurture it through art lessons. My parents, ever supportive, arranged for me to study with a local artist from our church, Linda Champanier. Every Sunday after the sermon, I would go to her studio.

Under Linda’s guidance, I explored the worlds of oil painting, photography, and drawing. But the greatest gift she gave me was being a creative role model. I am fortunate and forever grateful for that experience. My parents didn’t have a lot of money, but what they did have was dedicated to providing enriching opportunities for my sisters and me. I have always felt deeply supported and encouraged by them in my pursuit of art.

This is the story I tell when people ask how I knew I wanted to be an artist. To this day, my mom remains my steadfast supporter as I navigate the path of an emerging artist. I know she gets nervous, but she also understands that taking these risks is essential for me to live the life I was meant to. I also know my Dad is looking down, proud and cheering me on to keep going, no matter what.

Jamie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born and raised in New York’s Hudson Valley, a region that has deeply influenced my creative upbringing. My multidisciplinary practice spans from painting, drawing, craft, and sculpture. My academic background starts with a BFA in Visual Arts from SUNY New Paltz, complemented by minors in Psychology and Feminist & Gender Studies, and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art with a concentration in painting.

My career path has always converged between art education, mental health, and community engagement. It began during my undergraduate program, where I worked with a local therapy practice teaching workshops and camps and used art to support adolescents in their creative expression, trauma recovery and empowerment. This path led me to a local non-profit, where I provided care and creative recreation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I then took on a unique role within my local hospital’s stabilization unit, leading art therapy workshops and teaching Dialectical Behavioral Therapy techniques to mental health patients.

My passion for teaching and community care continued during my graduate studies, where I taught young children and their caregivers at Playday Studio. I led art workshops, afterschool programs and various creative events. After earning my MFA, my mom and I embarked on a two-month cross-country road trip in our RV. An adventure that broadened my perspective immensely and was artistically inspiring. Shortly after, I was honored to receive the Eric Fischl Teaching Residency at West Nottingham Academy in Maryland. There, I taught sculpture for a semester to high school students. The time spent in my studio led to my first solo show at the Gates Gallery on campus. I taught various workshops there to their aspiring artist program and led a collaborative earth work installation with the campus community.

These experiences have solidified my ultimate ambition, to establish a rural Creative Arts Center and residency program for emerging artists. The guiding mission is to bring diverse communities together through the shared power of art, nature, and education. I am thrilled that the first step toward this vision, The Painted Lady Artist Cohort, is currently underway to facilitate creative collaboration and bring this mission to life.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

My entrepreneurial philosophy has been deeply shaped by my parents. Growing up, they started their own business, an auto glass repair shop, and I watched them strive for higher and higher opportunities despite their humble beginnings. My father was the technician and my mother was the business manager, and it was my mom who told me, “If there isn’t an opportunity for you, then you create your own.” That piece of advice has been a guiding principle in my life.

It’s why I am so driven to establish an organization that generates opportunities, not only for myself but for my friends, colleagues, and countless creatives I haven’t met yet. The creative job market is notoriously saturated and competitive, and I think that’s partly because we simply need more people willing to build new platforms for talented, hardworking artists. My goal is to channel the values my parents instilled in me—a powerful work ethic, generosity, and ambition—into an organization that creates a lasting, positive ripple effect.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

My work is often vulnerable, emotive, and visceral, because my goal is to spark a deep, intimate conversation. To me, art is not just about the object itself but also about how viewers engage with it. I often think about the collective unconscious and strive to make a private moment of isolation resonate as a collective experience. The ultimate reward is creating that dialogue, connecting with someone on a deeper emotional, intellectual, or even spiritual level.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jamieowensart.com, www.thepaintedladycohort.com
• Instagram: @jamie.owens_art, @thepaintedlad1001
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-owens-91a802338/

Image Credits

Photo credit: Jamie Owens &
Trish Kuhlman, Chair of Art Department at West Nottingham Academy