Artist Statement
I organize events in galleries and public venues where I serve meals, facilitate rituals and prompt conversations. I leverage collaborative art making as a tool for community development in partnership with social profit organizations, small businesses and educational institutions.
I consider ergonomics, daily rituals and the patina of regular use when designing pottery, lining pots with white-on-white surface drawings that are abstractly narrative and complementary to a wide range of culinary colors and textures. Pots are wheel thrown and sculpted, painted with slip and terra sigillatta, carved through, fired, drawn upon, glazed and fired again. The interior, exterior and bottom of each object are addressed with the detail and complexity I find in the world around me.
— Jen DePaolo
Bio
Jen earned a Liberal Arts Degree in Art and Writing from Houghton College and later moved to Albuquerque to pursue her MFA at the University of New Mexico where she also studied race, class and gender in American culture. She participated in UNM’s Land Arts of the American West program as a Teaching Assistant and maintains a strong ecological focus in her work. In 2008, Jen held her MFA exhibition, Home Economics, at the Harwood Art Center where, in 2011, she became full time staff as the Community Outreach Coordinator. Recent Exhibition highlights include NCECA 2017 Conference Exhibition, The Evocative Garden, La Mesa at NCECA 2017 and Beyond the Brickyard at the Archie Bray. Her writing has been published in Ceramics: Art and Perception.