DKG Arts Gallery Blog: Artist’s Spotlight

 Jackie Thomas – Pennsylvania State Organization – Omicron Chapter

Greetings International members! I would like to introduce you to artist, Jackie Thomas, from Omicron Chapter in Pennsylvania.  This experienced educator has spent her life in K-12 education, but really enjoyed her 16 years teaching junior high art classes. Nearly 2,000 junior high students had the opportunity to learn from her. With hope of positively affecting the lives of more students, Jackie embraced working 10 years as an Assistant Superintendent, alongside 500 teachers and 50 curriculum administrators in her school district. Her advice for those she worked with, 1) teach important content, 2) inspire students to want to research, experiment, think, learn from mistakes, and express themselves, 3) help others identify and capitalize on how they learn.

First piece

Knowing that she has been an artist and creator since she was a toddler, she once designed and sewed doll clothing for her sister’s dolls as gifts to her for all occasions. Jackie also designed and made clothing with tubular knit that she bought with her 10-cent allowance, the cost of mill end tubular knit pieces filling the end-of-run barrels in factory outlets that her mother and she explored.

Inspiration

For the latest art gallery, Jackie’s inspiring sculpture addresses “literal and social justice interpretations of the concept “PUSH.”  A few reasons for this idea include her own struggle to break the glass ceiling for leadership and administrative positions. Part of that struggle is symbolized as pushing toward a breakthrough. Her 3D creation “Push, Miss Fancy Pants” also pushes the definition of art and sculpture through use of materials to be women’s genre (fibers). Additionally, Thomas recognizes that this piece “pushes” the use of recycled materials that she feels are taking over the earth as waste.

 By using recycled materials, Jackie included these in her sculpture:

●       sequin embellished netting fabric from a retired shawl

●       recycled linen-covered elastic waistbands from various slacks

●       fabric from pants sewn for other purposes

●       cotton cloth doll dyed in Staghorn sumac

●       husband's old orange suspender

●       Grandmother's wedding travel suit belt buckle

●       mill end wool yarn skein (for doll’s wig)

●       scrap wool yarns.

Upon close-in viewing each of the materials showcases the weave of Thomas’ drive for the “push” of social justice, through her art. Each piece of the sculpture delivers a story which she tells through the fabric and her unique collection from her own family. 

Best advice

The best artist advice Jackie has been given is simplified as 1). Be yourself; 2) Be honest. She uses her fibers studio to research, experiment and create, as she simultaneously reflects on current things in her life, and in the world, as well as what is affecting all lives. She comments, “It is necessary to look at issues based on my honest beliefs and feelings to honestly work through my beliefs, dreams, and concerns.”                                     

The value of arts in education   

As an artist, Jackie recalls that she views herself as an engineer, a researcher, an author, a mathematician, an historian… She recognizes that art education classrooms offer safe space for individuals to debrief all their other classroom content to explore ideas, experiment, think, plan and create, thus encouraging her artists to acknowledge their own life experience through art.

From “PUSH, Miss Fancy Pants”, Jackie empowers us, as DKG members, to tell our stories through our art.