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Jennifer Shada (b. 1988) is a Bay Area visual artist living and working in San Francisco and Santa Rosa, California. After spending the summer studying at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in 2010, she received her B.F.A. at Sonoma State University in 2011. She then attended California College of the Arts and earned her M.F.A. in 2016 and is currently represented by Hang Art in San Francisco. Shada is currently employed by Sterling Graphics Vinyl Company in San Francisco. At the beginning of 2015, Shada co-founded artist collective ONE + ONE + TWO, which aims to bridge the gap between individual artists with resources in the Bay Area such as residency, critique and exhibition opportunities. She has worked as a studio assistant for artists Mario Pires Cordeiro and Nellie King Solomon as well as assisted Barbara Stauffacher Solomon in painting her "Supergraphic" murals. Shada has located to a new studio in Santa Rosa, California since the beginning of August 2020.
Published on January 28th, 2021. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What hurdles have you overcome this year and how have they affected your art practice?
Since the beginning of my grad school experience which started in the fall of 2014, I have lived, worked, rented studio space and made many connections as well as engaged with a strong community in San Francisco. Since March of 2020, the pandemic has forced me to change that; my employment has been halted, I have given up my apartment, I have given up my studio space, and I have left my supportive artist community, retreating back home to Santa Rosa, CA against my full desire. Transitions have always been tough for me, especially when they are not on my own terms. I have been building a life and career in the city for the last almost 6 years and now I feel it's all been swept away due to the closures, outbreaks and effects from Covid-19. I, like I'm sure many, feel helpless and confused on how best to navigate this new reality. In recent weeks however, I have learned how to be gentler on myself during this time. I've been reminding myself that everything is unknown and totally out of my control. I just have to ride this wave at its pace and know it will end.
How has your art practice been affected by the pandemic?
Since the beginning of the pandemic, my art practice has been a bit volatile. I moved my studio three times in three months with the third spot (fortunately) being in a long term location. Because of these moves, I've had most of my materials packed in boxes, so my routine practice has not been very routine. At one point I responded to the pandemic by creating a series of 24 small drawings of the shut down and boarded up small businesses in different neighborhoods of San Francisco. I walked around the city streets during the "lock down" period and photographed the storefronts of businesses in my neighborhood. I then took those photos and used them as reference to create line drawings with pen and watercolor paint. I started posting images of these paintings on my Instagram account and caught the attention from an editor from the SF Gate. They ended up highlighting my work as well as writing a story about the series I created and published it on their site. I received much appreciation and praise from our local community and have grown more of my following.
What support systems have you put in place to help keep your practice thriving amidst these unforeseeable circumstances?
I believe it is really important to talk about current or personal issues with the people closest to you for a variety of reasons. When I speak out loud, I am able to share fears, concerns, and questions with the people whom I trust the most; someone who is really going to listen to me and be able to offer some advice. Within those conversations, I am able to hear and sometimes understand situations or circumstances differently. It's easy to come up with certain narratives in your own head. I've recognized that for myself, and in order to calm my mind or put myself on a more positive thinking path, I talk with my friends and family. I will also sometimes write about a certain issue or fear, especially during these uncertain times. Having a clearer and calmer mind about the world outside my studio, makes for a healthier, more productive mind inside my studio.
What methods do you employ to stay resilient in your art practice? What tips would you recommend to other artists who find staying resilient difficult?
I don't really know what tips I could offer another artist in staying resilient in their art practice, because every artist is so different as a person, they will have to find out what works best for them. For me, I know that in order to keep my studio practice moving forward, it is only up to me to make that happen. If I don't get in the studio, the work doesn't get made. I try to carve out a certain number of hours per week to work in my studio in order to stay current, fresh and to keep the work moving. I also try not to hold onto the work for too long; maybe three or four weeks maximum for the largest scale of works. Having a high turn over rate of pieces of work keeps me excited and eager to get into the studio. I have found over the years that laboring over the same piece for weeks and weeks or months and months can get really discouraging, so I try and keep things new and at a fast momentum.
What have you learned about yourself as an artist this year?
This year has been really challenging on many personal levels. I've been challenged when I lost work due to the pandemic. I've been challenged when I had to give up my apartment in the city and move back home to live full time. I've been challenged when massive wildfires have threatened that home, over and over again, with all of my personal belongings inside it. I've been challenged when fighting the critical voices in my head of "not being productive enough" and struggling through the "shelter in place" order when all of ours lives came to a halt. I've been challenged when finding my voice through the Black Lives Matter movement, the political banter of a two party system, and the current injustices and divisions throughout our communities and country. What a f*cking year! With all of that commotion going on and out of my control, there is only one thing that remains constant; my love and dedication to my art and practice never fades. It's quite the comforting feeling knowing that no pandemic, civil unrest or even wildfire can take that from me. To me, that feels resilient; that is the truest thing I know.
What hurdles have you overcome this year and how have they affected your art practice?
Since the beginning of my grad school experience which started in the fall of 2014, I have lived, worked, rented studio space and made many connections as well as engaged with a strong community in San Francisco. Since March of 2020, the pandemic has forced me to change that; my employment has been halted, I have given up my apartment, I have given up my studio space, and I have left my supportive artist community, retreating back home to Santa Rosa, CA against my full desire. Transitions have always been tough for me, especially when they are not on my own terms. I have been building a life and career in the city for the last almost 6 years and now I feel it's all been swept away due to the closures, outbreaks and effects from Covid-19. I, like I'm sure many, feel helpless and confused on how best to navigate this new reality. In recent weeks however, I have learned how to be gentler on myself during this time. I've been reminding myself that everything is unknown and totally out of my control. I just have to ride this wave at its pace and know it will end.
How has your art practice been affected by the pandemic?
Since the beginning of the pandemic, my art practice has been a bit volatile. I moved my studio three times in three months with the third spot (fortunately) being in a long term location. Because of these moves, I've had most of my materials packed in boxes, so my routine practice has not been very routine. At one point I responded to the pandemic by creating a series of 24 small drawings of the shut down and boarded up small businesses in different neighborhoods of San Francisco. I walked around the city streets during the "lock down" period and photographed the storefronts of businesses in my neighborhood. I then took those photos and used them as reference to create line drawings with pen and watercolor paint. I started posting images of these paintings on my Instagram account and caught the attention from an editor from the SF Gate. They ended up highlighting my work as well as writing a story about the series I created and published it on their site. I received much appreciation and praise from our local community and have grown more of my following.
What support systems have you put in place to help keep your practice thriving amidst these unforeseeable circumstances?
I believe it is really important to talk about current or personal issues with the people closest to you for a variety of reasons. When I speak out loud, I am able to share fears, concerns, and questions with the people whom I trust the most; someone who is really going to listen to me and be able to offer some advice. Within those conversations, I am able to hear and sometimes understand situations or circumstances differently. It's easy to come up with certain narratives in your own head. I've recognized that for myself, and in order to calm my mind or put myself on a more positive thinking path, I talk with my friends and family. I will also sometimes write about a certain issue or fear, especially during these uncertain times. Having a clearer and calmer mind about the world outside my studio, makes for a healthier, more productive mind inside my studio.
What methods do you employ to stay resilient in your art practice? What tips would you recommend to other artists who find staying resilient difficult?
I don't really know what tips I could offer another artist in staying resilient in their art practice, because every artist is so different as a person, they will have to find out what works best for them. For me, I know that in order to keep my studio practice moving forward, it is only up to me to make that happen. If I don't get in the studio, the work doesn't get made. I try to carve out a certain number of hours per week to work in my studio in order to stay current, fresh and to keep the work moving. I also try not to hold onto the work for too long; maybe three or four weeks maximum for the largest scale of works. Having a high turn over rate of pieces of work keeps me excited and eager to get into the studio. I have found over the years that laboring over the same piece for weeks and weeks or months and months can get really discouraging, so I try and keep things new and at a fast momentum.
What have you learned about yourself as an artist this year?
This year has been really challenging on many personal levels. I've been challenged when I lost work due to the pandemic. I've been challenged when I had to give up my apartment in the city and move back home to live full time. I've been challenged when massive wildfires have threatened that home, over and over again, with all of my personal belongings inside it. I've been challenged when fighting the critical voices in my head of "not being productive enough" and struggling through the "shelter in place" order when all of ours lives came to a halt. I've been challenged when finding my voice through the Black Lives Matter movement, the political banter of a two party system, and the current injustices and divisions throughout our communities and country. What a f*cking year! With all of that commotion going on and out of my control, there is only one thing that remains constant; my love and dedication to my art and practice never fades. It's quite the comforting feeling knowing that no pandemic, civil unrest or even wildfire can take that from me. To me, that feels resilient; that is the truest thing I know.
Find Jennifer Shada on Instagram
