Rising Stars: Meet Jennifer Gillia Cutshall of Hawthorne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Gillia Cutshall.

Hi Jennifer Gillia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My love affair with art began so long ago and as a young girl I felt as though the vast halls of the Brooklyn Art Museum were my second home. The collections resonated with me in rooms with ceilings that loomed three stories high. I felt small and profoundly elevated at the same time. That sensation still echoes in my response to thoughtful art collections and inspired art spaces. My affinity for museums remains, but I realized early on, that art is everywhere and not exclusive to formal settings. During my daily train ride to the High School of Music and Art I remember seeing Keith Haring’s work underground on platform walls and subway cars. His guerrilla approach showed me that artists do more than make work, they create environments. Since those early influences, my art-journey has traveled 3 paths. My studio practice occupies the most personal. I am driven to experiment with materials including life sized hand sculpted paper mache sculptures filled with ephemera, drawings, larger portraits and abstracted dreamscape paintings.

In contrast to my studio work, I have developed a less personal pathway as a mural painter. This channel has suited my penchant for working large and my attraction to themes. I have designed and painted over 300 large-scale murals (including public art grants, commissions, as well as theatrical scenic art jobs).

This need to explore larger formats has not been confined to my mural practice and has pushed into the third area of exploration. I opened a gallery/exhibition space in 2013 where I have exhibited the works of over 2000 artists. It has been a powerful creative tool to incorporate my intuitive impulses into collective concerns and exhibition projects. I have also done contract work as a curator and as the Gallery Director at a local community college. This curatorial outlet feels inherently connected to my experiences (as a girl) at the Brooklyn Art Museum when art collections dictated the greatest sense of narrative and reverence for me.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As I indicated previously, I grew up in NYC and I can safely say that I do not remember a single day from the age of 11 that I was not cat called (to varying degrees). This sense of ownership of the female form ignores voice and intellect…and brilliance. As an artist I have suffered by being disrespected, underestimated, underpaid, and undervalued. Everything I have built has been from my ideas, my hard work, and tenacity. As a female muralist I experienced my male muralist colleagues being compensated more (for less work). As an entrepreneur I have experienced male colleagues taking credit for my work and my intellectual property. I have had my work and my ideas stolen.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The phrase “the sky’s the limit,” may be a colloquialism worthy of an artist’s attention! The only limitations I see (besides space and financial constraints) are those limitations constructed in one’s own mind. My imagination activates me and if I can dream it up, I will find a way to propel it or begin the process of actualizing it and watch it take on a new life! I refer to a “new life” because all creative endeavors benefit from the momentum born from an open mind. This open approach echoes in my professional work as a curator and as an artist. My mind has always been flooded with ideas. And I have far more ideas than I have time to execute, however I am able to borrow moments (in all of my roles) to propel a portion of my visions. And I never want my imagination to slow down. Every night I actually look forward to putting my head on the pillow…where a river of dreams awaits my attention! The ideas and the process (rather than the outcome) hold the greatest rewards for me.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
As a lifelong artist, muralist, and gallery owner I have found that flexibility is paramount. The ability to pivot and see things anew may be our greatest asset. And all arts workers are in the business of seeing things anew, with every new exhibition, every new work of art, poem, book, or film. And one of the most obvious and simple ways society (and the individual) can support this infinite potential for ideas and innovation is to support artists and art dealers the same way you support local businesses, restaurants, and convenience outlets. Consider this, if 1 in every 100 people traded 1 week of daily coffee stops and other convenience expenses, they could afford original art or a trip to the theater or music venue (and that would lend a huge influx of support to the local and regional art economy). As a society, it may be time to slow our roll, to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. If we value the arts, we insure a brighter future, one with thoughtful individuals. Art isn’t just decorative, it changes the way we see the world and our potential for grace within the world. Convenience purchases are handy, but maybe we need less convenience right now and more moments where time stands still and we appreciate our creative capital…it’s priceless!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jennifergilliacutshallart.com/ and https://www.verumultimumartgallery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verumultimum/ and https://www.instagram.com/jennifergilliacutshallart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verumultimumartgallery
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-gillia-cutshall-75982a91/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsnxzQTS0qqS2-noE0wW6Sg/videos