We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jenn Wood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jenn below.
Jenn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as an artist or creative? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a regular job?
Yes I am happier as an artist. Early last year I decided to dedicate my time to my art career and studio practice, after many years of being employed in jobs that forced my art practice to a secondary status.
Before becoming an artist I had many jobs, employed in traditional work from age 14. I worked part time during high school and college as an under grad. Some of the part time jobs were waitressing, teaching at a nursery school and an inner city pre-school, retail cashier, cocktail waitress at a fun bar/restaurant, helping customers at a cool fabric store. After graduating from art school with my BFA I started a business consulting with high end corporate art collections. I also sold original art to most of the companies, throughout the country. When the recession hit in late 2007 I had to close the business after seventeen years. Minimal consulting and art sales continued for another year, after which I started teaching college art courses and entrepreneurship workshops.
Additionally for many years during summers I taught art classes and once managed a rural summer arts program. When my daughter moved away to college, I went back to college full time and earned my MFA in printmaking/mm. During grad school I taught printmaking courses every semester and enjoyed it. Tho’ it was quite time consuming and made for very long days of teaching, working in my studio, and writing essays and my thesis at night. After Grad school I continued teaching at colleges as adjunct art faculty. I also taught at two excellent art centers, primarily with adults.
If I ‘sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job’, it’s not very often. It may be at a time of few or no acceptances to exhibitions, or when the drive to & from my studio is long and more dangerous due to winter weather, its dark hours and short days. However I know I won’t go back to a regular job, and cannot imagine living without producing art when I want and need to. It’s fine to spend time on hobbies and volunteering and of course with family and friends. But the need to produce art is irrefutably mandatory for my happiness and existence. My guidance for people who are considering becoming an artist; if you’re not hugely committed to it and don’t feel it’s necessary to your wellbeing, you may want to consider a different career. Most artists need to have some other type of employment to make ends meet.
For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.
Above I’ve described much of how I became an Artist, from my teen years to the present. For most of my life I’ve lived in MA in urban, suburban and rural places. I also lived for a few years in NJ, Il and OH. Here’s some related info from the way back machine. Creative family members and friends influenced my interest in the arts and my parents never discouraged my interest in becoming an artist. As an older teen I was interested in literature, geometry and French. Once I graduated high school my interests became art, music, literature + film. An important decision by my father, that I learn to make things by hand, was realized when he bought me an old sewing machine and enrolled me in sewing classes. I was then in Junior high and made my own clothes until I was old enough to get a part time job, to be able to happily buy regular clothing. Ironically the boring mandatory sewing projects started me on a path to becoming a creative maker. My first efforts in producing art were after high school, making large scale batik paintings, and woven rope pieces. Colorful batik pieces were based on plant forms and Native American symbols. Soon after, I started at MA College of Art in Boston and earned my BFA in hot and cold Glass, also taking many mandatory drawing + art history courses.
2D abstraction is now my primary choice of aesthetic. The process is intuitive and often illuminates nature, and the ocean’s brilliance and complexity. Work can begin with following gestural movements of my arm and body, or be more controlled if the composition is a developed idea. The work unfolds organically and I embrace the concepts of wabi sabi, experimentation, and sometimes playful chance. Some of my painting skills are self-taught, in other instances my knowledge of painting, printmaking and drawing manifest intuitively. I favor mixed media materials to explore texture, color, light and more. Current work is usually acrylic paints with mixed media. (In the past I also produced 3D pieces in hot and cold glass, and cyanotype on shaped plexi sculptures.) Substrates used are canvas, translucent yupo, paper and board. Collage materials are often from my past printmaking or cyanotype work and painting experiments or sketches. By using varied supplies I engage my innate curiosity and desire to try combining different materials.
What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc
I’m proud that my art practice has developed and evolved for close to forty years, at certain times more than others. Balancing and enjoying motherhood, founding & running a full time business, and then teaching were challenges that affected my art production. I had to adjust my work output accordingly and have never stopped loving being a mother and artist!
My work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in Boston, Cambridge, Provincetown, Brooklyn, Manhattan, LA, Miami, Berlin, Germany and New Britain, CT; curated and juried by gallerists, museum curators and artists. Work is held in private, corporate and museum collections in New England, NYC and Chicago. Works have been included in numerous juried shows nationally, and several curated invitational exhibitions in Boston, Provincetown, NYC and online, at outstanding venues. This summer several of my works were shown at the Painting Center in Chelsea, Manhattan in a terrific invitational exhibition.
Residencies include the C-Scape dune shack in Provincetown and Plumbing Museum, in MA. Art related speaking and panelist engagements have included MA College of Art, Boston University, Simmons College and UMass Lowell, among others. Teaching includes studio art and creative entrepreneurship courses at UMass Lowell and Dartmouth, Quincy College and terrific Art Centers in Cambridge, Concord and Lawrence, MA. I’ve enjoyed volunteering in many roles a few of which include, manager of an Artists Co-op in Fort Point Boston art community for busy holiday season, a juror for art exhibitions, volunteer community Arts Grant panelist for a few years near Boston, and several years as a juror for a major fundraising art auction benefitting AIDS research and aid. Please see the CV at my website for more details.
As mentioned my art practice spans many years. It has evolved through production of innumerable series and diverse media. Accomplished as a painter, printmaker, glass artist and photographer, I combine material and conceptual elements from these art forms, to produce mixed media work. The work is handmade and analog as opposed to digitally manipulated or produced with AI. I am the sole creator/producer of the work and have no assistant. That is not to say I wouldn’t welcome collaboration, which may happen if the right situation arises.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and an thriving creative ecosystem?
Producing good original art, music, theatre and other creative works takes time to contemplate, develop, design and make; it is work. The arts and culture contribute substantially to the economy and our quality of life, but often have too little support from public and charitable organizations. Federal, state and local governments must protect and expand good work and performance space for creatives in all the arts. Adequate funding must be available for Arts grants, fellowships and commissioned works that enhance communities and people’s lives of all ages, races and income levels. Underserved and under resourced communities need to be funded on a par with more affluent locations. The Arts need to be offered and taught in public schools and colleges by qualified instructors who are paid a fair wage and benefits. Teachers and faculty should not have to buy school/art supplies with their own money or work multiple jobs just to survive. Everyone should have affordable access to museums, live theatre and music performances.
I’m encouraged by the good work of the MA Cultural Council in my state and also a new type of ‘art prescription’ that can be given to patients by doctors in MA. However for way too long artists and other creatives have been displaced from their studio work places by big developers, greedy politicians and gentrification. This can often result in creatives having to work in substandard and sometimes dangerous buildings, or giving up completely. It is not acceptable to expect artists and other creatives to work for free or low compensation, or to be kicked out of their work spaces at the whim of greedy companies and uncaring government officials. The arts need to be promoted and held in high esteem, with creatives being compensated fairly for their important work and contributions to society. People need to vote for candidates who make the Arts a priority. They can also volunteer for or contribute to their campaigns or arts organizations, if time and income allow. Last but Not least art collectors of all ages and income should support artists by buying work from Living artists.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I love producing art and know it would be a very bad situation if it wasn’t possible. I’m hugely concerned about urgent threats to oceans, and nature in general. By focusing my work on imagery relative to ocean, water and nature I hope to make people more aware of how precious and important they are, and our responsibility to protect and save the earth from man-made destruction. Opportunities to share my work with diverse groups of people and receive constructive comments about it are appreciated. Sharing and interacting with the public as well as the artist community is important. I consider these actions part of my commitment as an artist, along with the many other activities and responsibilities that are involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jennwoodstudio.com
- Instagram: @jennwoodart
Image Credits
All images Jenn Wood copyright