Today we’d like to introduce you to JP Jermaine Powell Powell.
Hi JP Jermaine Powell, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember. I wanted to be an astronaut but received a scholarship for art upon high school graduation. Growing up in Ohio, creating meaningful art became a way for me to understand the world, express my ideas, and imagine a bigger future.
That passion led me to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where I earned my BFA and developed the foundation for my professional career.
After moving to North Carolina, I built my practice through mixed media paintings, murals, public installations, and community centered projects. Years of persistence, travel, learning, and collaboration taught me that art can do more than transform a space and great art can preserve stories, unite communities, and inspire people to recognize their value and influence.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Building a sustainable career as an artist and the JP brand requires resilience, patience, sacrifice, and faith. Along the way, I’ve faced financial uncertainty, rejection, limited resources, creative doubt, and the challenge of balancing my career with family responsibilities. There were also times when I had to create major projects under tight deadlines, without the ideal studio space or support.
One of the greatest struggles has been learning how to protect my vision while navigating the business side of the art world. Talent alone is not enough. I wish it was. I leaned over the years that artists and creative entrepreneurs must understand contracts, pricing, marketing, relationships, and how to create your own opportunities when doors remain closed.
Those experiences strengthened my discipline and shaped the meaning behind the JP brand and the Leadership Reimagined themed artworks. They taught me that leadership is often developed during difficult moments, when no one is watching and quitting would be easier. Every setback has encouraged me to become more resourceful, intentional, and committed to my purpose. My journey has not been easy, but each challenge has helped me grow into a stronger artist, entrepreneur, father, and community leader.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m best known for vibrant portraits, birds, animals, symbolic imagery, and public artworks that explore leadership, identity, community, human connection, and personal transformation. My current body of work, Leadership Reimagined, encourages people to recognize that leadership is not limited to titles. Leadership Reimagined is the daily responsibility we carry within our families, careers, and communities.
I’m most proud of serving as the first Artist in Residence at the North Carolina Museum of Art. I’m also proud of the murals and exhibitions I’ve created with communities throughout North Carolina and the world, especially projects that give young people and families an opportunity to contribute to something meaningful.
What sets my work apart is the combination of fine art, luxury materials, storytelling, and community engagement. I want every piece to feel visually powerful while carrying a deeper message about purpose, legacy, faith, and the influence each person has to shape the future.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Resilience. My willingness to keep learning, evolving, and creating through every challenge has been essential to my success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jermainepowell.com
- Instagram: @jpyourlife
