Offsite Gallery 2019, June 28 – August 9 “Make Me Wanna Holler” curated by Maizelle
Jackie Merritt is an artist/musician from Hampton, VA.
“I have a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Norfolk State University and a Master of Arts with emphasis in Painting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I have taught undergraduate and graduate painting drawing classes at several universities: Norfolk State University, Elizabeth City State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I was a book cover designer for Random House Publications in New York City. In 1984, I returned to the Hampton Roads area upon receiving a one-year grant to serve as the “Visiting Artist” for the Virginia Beach School System. In that capacity, I taught high school gifted students in painting and drawing. I recently retired after twenty-one years as a Visual Information Specialist, i.e. “Graphic Designer,” for an engineering/architectural branch of the Navy, NAVFAC Atlantic. I am currently an Adjunct Drawing Professor at Thomas Nelson Community College in Hampton, Virginia.
1 have received numerous awards and exhibited in galleries and museums nationwide. I exhibited the first series of my Women of the Blues paintings in 2004 at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA. “Color Me Blue,” the title of the exhibit and performance, showcased not only my paintings, but also my original music. My series, “Mean Mamas,” was featured in a one-woman exhibit at the Cultural Arts Center in Smithfield, VA.”
