Giving Birth to the Dream

In This Issue…

• Editor’s Perspective: Giving Birth to the Dream
• Contemporary Artists: Jenne Glover’s,
  “One with the Drum,” on March program cover of Applause at Strathmore – Music
  Center, N. Bethesda, MD
• Exhibition – Gallery Serengeti – saluting Women in the Fine Arts, featuring Gwen Aqui, Jenne Glover, Viola Leak, Tamara Little, Evelyn Holland-Walker — through May 31, 2009

Editor’s Perspective: Giving Birth to the Dream

“Giving Birth to the Dream” was the name of a solo exhibit that I had many years ago at the Colorado College. The exhibition’s title was the same as a painting that I had completed about the same time. The painting tells a story about a woman surrounded by a mother and her ancestors. The mother figure has her hand on the woman’s shoulder, giving her a gentle nudge, as if to say…”go, do, be.” Elders assembled like Mt. Rushmore are supporting the woman’s back. A bright spirit holds court in the center and links past with the present. The baby on the mother’s back is focused elsewhere and the blanket wrapping the baby looks like a hand clasping the child firmly to her mother. We all have ancestors that overcame challenges of their day. And, their victories strengthened our family values and our desire to succeed, to do better than the previous generation.

With the disturbing changes in the economy, we find ourselves reassessing our lives, what we have, and what we need to do to weather the economic storm. There’s a collective hope that we will turn this mess around for the better. And, now that spring’s rebirthing, let’s dare to dream of new beginnings and take action to make it happen.

Peace!

Contemporary Artist: Jenne Glover’s painting, “One with the Drum,” on Applause at Strathmore

Colors, composition, and balance…

Oh my!

Interview with Jenne Glover: by Carolyn Spears

Carolyn Spears Ford and Sydney, her granddaughter, at Lake Ontario, Canada.

Carolyn is a free-lance writer, art patron, and one of Jenne’s biggest fans.

When Jenne Glover, aka Jeannette Robinson Glover, launched Voicing Art on January 8, 2008, she ended her brief self-introduction with the word…“Whew”. Since then, readers have gleaned details about this gifted and generous woman from her “Editor’s Perspective” column and her interviews of other visual artists. Recently, she consented to sit on the ‘hot seat’ and become the interviewee. The following is a look at the genius behind Voicing Art.

Jenne was born and raised in Washington, DC by her loving and older parents, Ada and Thomas “Robby” Robinson. Her mother, a pioneer in early childhood education and her father a high school math teacher and winning college and high school track coach made sure that she was well cared for. Jenne loved hanging out with her dad and was nicknamed his “Shadow.” During her childhood, Sundays were really special because Jenne and her dad visited the local museums and galleries before they headed to his part-time job as a custodian at the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol was a super playground, an environment that energized her imagination…the art, sculpture, history, and ambiance. She knew every nook and cranny in the place; played hide and seek behind the sculptures; pretended to be the post office clerk; made mock speeches in the Senate and House Chambers; traveled on the underground railway; and when it was time to take a break to read, she relaxed on the chaise lounges in the senators’ and house representatives’ offices. Jenne credits this early exposure to this majestic environment as an important source of nourishment for her own budding talent.

Although blessed with a ‘good hand’ for as long as she can remember and essentially self-taught, Jenne didn’t begin painting seriously until she met Sam Glover in 1974. Sam, a talented fine artist-craftsman in his own right, became her friend, mentor, and husband. He made his transition in 2005, but his guidance and influence are permanently held in her heart. An expressionist painter, Jenne sometimes works in mixed media and textile, but always returns to her first love, oil paint. Her engaging use of color is her trademark. Jenne’s paintings, primarily of people, flow from a fundamental approach…“color, composition, and balance.” She pays special attention to the nuance of her subjects’ hands, their eyes, the flair of their hats. “My pieces are not designed to puzzle; and most are fun and uplifting.” Currently, she’s shying away from really big pieces in favor of more affordable, ‘travel friendly size’ works.

Gone are the days when she sold her work for almost nothing so she could buy food or pay a bill. Realizing that making a living as an artist may be financially challenging; Jenne’s back up plan earned her a Master of Science in Management from the University of Maryland University College, and so doing, she became the third generation of women in her family to earn a master’s degree. Her profession in Human Resources Management allows her to apply her training and gives her peace of mind to paint. Hoping to one day publish her art in a book, throughout her visual arts career she has documented her considerable body of work on slides and CDs. Jenne doesn’t labor over her art, but deliberates over the titles.

A nationally recognized talent, Jenne has shown in many solo, group and juried exhibitions. Currently, “Celebrating Life” an exhibition at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center, Landover, MD will be on display through March 31st. She’s also featured in a salute to “Women in the Fine Arts,” an exhibit at Gallery Serengeti in District Heights, MD which will hang through May. Most notable among her solo exhibitions are: Parish Gallery, Georgetown, DC; Colorado College, Coburn Gallery; and the University of Maryland University College Art Gallery. Her favorite group shows are the recurring “Common Bond” exhibitions held at the Strathmore Hall Arts Center. Her art work is in the collections of the Maryland Artists Collection, University of Maryland University College; Morgan State University, James E. Lewis Museum; Colorado College, Coburn Gallery; Tri-Continental Industries; and private art collections. She’s also featured in Art Business News, The Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Fine Art African American Style, and Manhattan Arts International.

A fierce champion of the visual arts, Jenne launched the newsletter to trumpet the ’quiet’ cause of underappreciated visual artists. She hopes to inspire her readers, as she has been by the talented artists that she’s interviewed. Learning about an artist’s creative process (re)energizes hers. Recently, an interview with sculptress, Terry deBardelaben inspired Jenne to begin a series of mixed media works on angels, her homage to the abiding presence of spirit.

Angel Series:

Although she’s having fun, producing the newsletter is a time-management challenge. Assessing the success of Voicing Art, Jenne is pleased, she’s getting feedback, but hopes for more dialogue with her readers. She welcomes suggestions for artists to feature, critiques on content, and ideas for Voicing Art’s direction. Don’t hold back, let her hear from you! You can contact Jenne at jglover@starpower.net or at 202-253-8098.

See more Jenne Glover art at:

www.jenneglover.com

Washington Projects for the Arts http://artfile.wpadc.org/

Maryland State Arts Council www.msac.org/registry

Mark Your Calendar:

March 14 – May 31, 2009

Featuring:

• Gwen Aquiv
• Jenne Glover
• Viola Leak
• Tamara Little
• Evelyn Holland-Walker

7919 Central Avenue
District Heights, MD
301-808-6987