Artist Statement
"Growing up in the Ozarks with three generations of strong, sustainable women my days were spent learning traditional craft, or romping through woods and creeks. The expansive quiet of nature connected with the small and intentional surroundings of home to create a great sense of comfort within me.
In my current works I focus on these two environments and ideas surrounding sustainability through sculpture, installation, and performance. Whether that be through a quilt that contains and preserves flower petals or a large story-book animal built from scraps of cardboard and found materials. Through this process of imaginative transformation, I try to investigate my own personal history, while creating dialogue about our impact on the natural world."
Jillian is a visual artist living and working in Kansas City, Missouri. She studied art at the Kansas City Art Institute and currently works as Outreach and Media Coordinator at a non-profit arts studio supporting artists with developmental disabilities. Her work has been shown nationally, with exhibitions as far away as Alaska and California. She is a former Charlotte Street Resident, as well as a Charlotte Street Visual Artist Fellow and received the Byron C. Cohen award in 2018. .
