DLD| Jenny Kane |Ep 162

Jenny was 10-years old when she first experienced the desert. Jenny's best friends mother was a Girl Scout leader who brought the girls out to Joshua Tree National Park to camp. Jennifer says, “I remember the wind – it was like a person, taking up space.”

 

As an adult, Jennifer would visit the park to climb. In 2017 she wrote a dispatch about the history of the Joshua Tree National Park climbing community as part of The Mojave Project, a documentary and curatorial project led by artist Kim Stringfellow.

 

After spending two and half years with the Peace Corps in Southern Thailand, Jennifer returned to Joshua Tree and began leading hikes and kids camping groups. She became part of JT Lab and worked on developing what is now known as the 'Artists Tea' program.

 

A student of art, Jenny initially worked in acrylics, sculpture and recycled materials. Before leaving for the Peace Corps, Jennifer received a watercolor set from a friend. With only six months left out of country, Jennifer brought the set out and began to experiment. Watercolor is now her medium of choice and she finds it a bit ironic to be painting desert landscapes with water. Her paintings are held in private collections around the world.

 

While continuing to work as a guide and outdoor educator, Jennifer also serves as the Executive Director of Arts Connection, The Arts Council of San Bernardino County. In this role, Jennifer's multidisciplinary practice approaches community engagement as a dynamic form of art: creating space and opportunities for people to gather in unexpected environments through diverse methods and mediums to promote broader understanding and connection to self, others, and place.

 

Full Episode

Find Jenny's art on Instagram: @jennykan

Donate, join or find out more about Arts Connection here: www.artsconnectionnetwork.org