Today we’d like to introduce you to Jes Reyes.
Hi Jes, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Jes. I am a visual artist. I live in St. Paul with my husband and our dogs and cats. Most days I am assisting artists at Fresh Eye Arts, a progressive art studio program for artists with disabilities. I also help run our community art space Fresh Eye Gallery in South Minneapolis. I am also the founder and director of Moonplay Cinema, a program supporting gender-marginalized filmmakers.
Someone I used to know 20 years ago recently commented that I haven’t changed much. I can agree with that. I am still the active person I was when I was 24 and in college. Back then I was working full time, going to school full time, and I was serving as the co-chair of the Women Studies Student Association. So you can see that I like to juggle a few responsibilities at the same time. It’s just who I am!
I moved to the Twin Cities from Southern California in 2005, a year after graduating from California State University, Long Beach with a double major in Women’s Studies and Film and Electronic Arts. I thought I was only going to live in Minnesota for a short time. I had family here and felt I could hang out while I applied for grad school. I ended up loving Minnesota so much that I stayed and eventually pursued a Master of Liberal Studies degree from the University of Minnesota, with a minor in Museum Studies.
Grad school was a transformative experience for me. I found confidence and direction during that time. Now almost ten years after grad school, even with a ton of student loan debt, I am proud of the time I put into my education. I now am a professional artist and have a long history of working with organizations such as Avivo, Springboard for the Arts, and MSS to build art access, offer art workshops/programming, and assist with artist career support.
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?
It’s been a bumpy road. I found my creative voice during a very challenging time. In 2014, I finished my master’s degree. My mom, Patricia, was in hospice at the same time. She was at the end of her life with renal failure due to living with diabetes most of her life. She was diagnosed at age 9 with Type 1 diabetes, living her whole life with a challenging illness. She was in her late 50s when she passed. I was 35. I could barely get my thesis done because she was dying. It was a difficult time but I got through it. I graduated.
We had our ups and downs throughout the years but she was always my best friend. She was a constant in my life. I talked to her every day; there wasn’t a moment I didn’t think about her. So, when she passed away, my life turned upside down. I didn’t have that constant anymore. I didn’t have that connection – the consistency of the relationship like I used to. So, I looked for therapeutic support.
I started grief counseling. It also didn’t take me long to immerse myself in art too. I started painting and drawing. It was almost compulsive. I knew it would be healing and that I could use it every day while I was grieving. Soon after, I added painting to my art practice. The road was challenging but I found new art forms to create with that spoke to me.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Since I am an interdisciplinary artist, I don’t see myself specializing in a discipline. Instead, it’s curiosities that motivate my creative work. Collaboration also moves me forward as well. When I partner with others and explore new mediums, I challenge my work both in content and form. New solo work also transpires from these interactions. This is something I am proud of because it strengthens my art practice and sets me apart from others.
Some recent collaborations include:
- In 2020, I collaborated with Tess Nordstrom to work with a composer for the first time, scoring Cyclical, a silent experimental film I made that explores vulnerability, depression, and adaptation. This film was screened virtually at the 2021 Film Score Fest.
- The catalyst for my creative collaboration with Kiera Faber began as a two-dimensional response to the isolation, loneliness, uncertainty, and sadness induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost three years into this project, our mixed-media artwork continues. We are actively applying to exhibit this artwork.
- In September 2021, I partnered with Eagan Art House to create Interconnected, a temporary outdoor textile installation for their annual public art group exhibition Momentary Certainties. My work reflected upon the movement of the wind. I returned in the Fall of 2022 to create Hut It Out, a site-specific fiber art installation. Woven and knitted, it acted as a colorful warm embrace and explores the changes of seasons. I had never created artwork like this before. It was an amazing experience!
Lastly, I am proud to say that I am a 2023 recipient of a Creative Support Individuals grant through the Minnesota State Arts Board. I am working on a new body of artwork that brings all of my recent curiosities and collaborations in abstract painting, moving image work, and intuitive weaving into one expansive solo project. I am really excited about this and about the possibilities a project like this will inform my next steps as an artist.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
One thing I have learned over the years is how important it is to connect with other creatives. Don’t work in a bubble.
Usually, making art is a solitary experience so developing social time with peers who also want art in their life can be validating and liberating. I think this is because when you are in a group setting you are relating with others and receiving and giving feedback. You’re supporting one another. This has been the best form of networking for me. I am also a DIY kind of person so I find different ways to connect with people. I don’t generally wait for people to reach out to me. I use social media to network and build my community. It’s been a great resource for me!
As for mentorship, classes have been my best friend. I take classes all of the time. I like to learn from others and let it inform certain directions I take. So if you haven’t taken a class in a long time, I encourage it! You will meet a teacher who you might gain so much from. For 1:1 mentor-like support, I look to Springboard for the Arts for artist career support. I have used their consultation resources in the past and it has been enormously helpful with my small business planning and long-term goal setting.
Honestly though, sometimes, mentors just happen through networking. Talking with others about your goals can introduce you to wonderful people who are great at supporting others. That’s been my experience so it might be yours too!
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Jes Reyes and Rick Graves
