We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jen Kroeger. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jen below.

Alright, Jen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

Jen, 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’m a visual artist. I paint bright, bold, abstract landscapes and I am also the Studio Director of SRQ East Art Studios in Sarasota, Florida. I took an interesting path to get where I am, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’ve been creative my whole life. My grandfather was a commercial artist, illustrator and painter, so of course my two sisters and I had plenty of art supplies growing up. I was always drawing and I got pretty good at it. I also taught myself how to sew and then I took as many art and sewing classes as I could throughout high school. I entered high school art shows, received awards and I was encouraged by my parents and teachers to go on to art school. Being the little rebel I was, I decided not to go to college right away and got a crappy job, partied too much and then circumstances forced me to grow up.

When I finally decided to go to college in my twenties, I started with a studio art track for a semester, but I switched to graphic design and then ultimately I switched to fashion design. After marriage, two daughters and finally ten years later, I graduated at the top of my class, which helped me land a coveted position with a local clothing company in my hometown.

I was then the assistant designer of a high end women’s sportswear company. It was a very creative position that I loved. They had the most gorgeous European fabrics and I would buy yards of this fabric for myself during their warehouse sales, thinking I would make my own fabulous garments some day. Unfortunately, the 25 year old company had to close its doors not long after the economy crashed in 2008.

After moving to Florida, doing some custom clothing for clients, some graphic design and then working random desk jobs that weren’t the right fit, I found myself in a career as a toy designer – which I never expected. It was another really creative position and probably the most fun I’ve ever had working for someone else. It was a small company though and we had to break during Covid.

While in lockdown, like many creatives, I had time to explore that creativity. I got depressed sewing masks and after a while I finally dove into that fabulous fabric stash I had been sitting on for years. I knew I didn’t want to make masks or even clothing anymore. I wanted to make art. Bright, colorful, happy art to lighten the mood. And so I did. I put my first textile art pieces on social media. They got great reactions, which was encouraging. I also started painting again.

My process grew too big for my little bedroom work area and I got an art studio. I read art books and listened to about a million podcasts on the business of art, because I felt like I needed to further educate myself. I had my own art exhibits in my studio, I entered art shows, I sold work, I kept saying yes to opportunities I normally wouldn’t have. I am a bit of an introvert, so it was a little difficult at first, but it got easier and easier to put myself out there.

When work resumed with the toy company, my boss was thrilled that I rediscovered the artist in me. She was really supportive, loved what I was doing and encouraged me to keep going, even if it meant I was so busy that I had to cut down my days at work. One day we were talking about how her husband was having a hard time finding the perfect renter for the second floor of his building and I suggested he rent it out as art studios, knowing there was a need in Sarasota. I am all about connecting artists to opportunities and sharing what I have learned on my journey, so I thought this could be a great opportunity, if they would ever consider it seriously.

Fast forward to a year later while I was on vacation, I received a text from my boss asking if I could connect her to organizations that would help rent her husband’s building as art studios. I saw an opportunity and I took it – I offered to spearhead the project myself. I wanted to build an art community in the northeast area of Sarasota where there was tons of expanding growth, but no creative hub. My boss and her husband knew that I was passionate about the visual arts in Sarasota and dedicated to my work, so they trusted me to take the reins. With the green light from them, and with the support of my husband, I managed construction projects, put in sweat equity, branded, organized, marketed and curated beautiful gallery spaces and twelve art studios. SRQ East Art Studios officially opened its doors on September 1st, 2023 and I filled the studios with talented artists in just five months. Our community now has twelve artists, two gorgeous galleries, classroom spaces and a whole lot of creativity under one roof. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished and proud of our artists who love and respect what we have together. We all inspire and encourage each other and I am extremely grateful to be part of our little community.

Apart from the excitement of the studios, I just exhibited at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, where I was featured in the local artist spotlight. I also just finished my second artist residency at Art Ovation Hotel, so life has been really exciting lately. I am extremely grateful for all of it.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I was lucky enough to stumble on some amazing resources early on in my journey. For emerging artists wanting to know how to be seen locally, I suggest looking up your local art alliance or art center and checking their artist calls. There are often emerging artist programs through the larger fine art festivals, so if you follow these organizations, you can get notified. The people who run these organizations are usually very kind and helpful.

Art podcasts and books are also amazing resources and I listen while I work. When I first began to dive into my art seriously, I discovered an art business podcast that was really helpful called The Left Brain Artist with Suzanne Redmond. It gave me the push I needed to put my work out there. It’s been two years since she’s recorded, but the episodes are still available. Nicholas Wilton’s Art2life podcast is excellent as well. For books, I highly recommend Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist, David Bayles & Ted Orland’s Art & Fear and of course Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being.

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

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is connection. As visual artists, unless you’re working in a collaboration, making the work can be kind of a lonely endeavor… until you share it. Then doors open and you make connections with people you’ve never met before and it’s really eye opening, wonderful and refreshing. It starts great conversations, sparks new ideas and builds relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: jenkroeger.com
• Instagram: @jenkroeger_art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenkroegerart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenkroeger/
• Other: https://www.srqeast.com/@srqeast.art