Prizer Arts & Letters is a nonprofit with a mission to support artists and cultivate connection through socially engaged art exhibitions, literary readings and interactive community events.
Artist-in-Residence Spotlight
Prizer is thrilled to announce that Houston-based artist Jonathan Paul Jackson will be the artist-in-residence in Smithville from mid-March through mid-June! Stay tuned for opportunities to take workshops with Jonathan as well as chances to see his amazing work.
About the artist: Born in 1984, Jonathan Paul Jackson grew up in remote far West Texas before moving to Houston, where he continues to reside. From a young age, Jackson developed a deep love and passion for nature which continues to impact his art making practice. While Jackson has some formal art education and served as a studio assistant to several prominent Houston based artists in his formative years, he is largely self-taught, holding a high regard for experimentation. Jackson continues his work with nature-inspired imagery on non-traditional surfaces, drawing inspiration from the renowned Houston artist Jesse Lott (1943-2023), who utilized found materials for the basis of his artistic practice. Jackson has been and continues to be deeply inspired by nature; his scope is broad—from flowers seen on walks in his east side, Houston neighborhood to the geological forces that shaped our planet billions of years ago. Recently, Jackson has been developing a method of recycling paper, making paper so thick (up to one half inch) it becomes suggestive of walls, frescoes, or archeological remains. This paper varies in color, texture, and thickness, as bits of colored paper remain fully visible in the final painting. Through the process of recycling, Jackson takes his place amongst environmentally conscious artists, mindful of how their studio practices impact the environment. His arcadian imagery flutters somewhere between optimism and sorrow; optimism that even during times of great distress that nature can be a source of renewal, and sorrow for the animals negatively impacted by modern human’s ideas of progress.