By Staff
What inspired you to become an artist?
I was inspired to become an artist by being raised in an atmosphere that reflected art. I was cultivated in an environment of color and concepts. Growing up in a home that mirrored a gallery, it’s not hard to see how I became a resident of creativity. Therefore my father’s artistic practice became my proclivity.
What type of training have you had to paint professionally?
I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comprehensive Art from Hampton University as my training to paint professionally. Professors like Solomon Isekeije and Dr. Jacqueline Bontemps helped broaden my skill set and artistic influences. I matriculated at an institution that provides ground for the oldest African American museum in the nation. I was blessed to be in a position to study historical treasures first hand. Having examples of excellence equipped me to be the painter I am today.
Tell us about your recent work of art.
My recent work of art entitled, “M.A.T.R.I.A.R.C.H: Nurturing Our Tracks” is a 3 feet x 4 feet oil painting on canvas. I believe that this one painting truly exemplifies my signature style of art called JARIETY. When it comes to the journey of African Americans, it is always imperative that I paint a new narrative. This painting shows my long desire to see a bridge not only built by hands but also by hearts. Ghana is the destination and Virginia is where the journey starts. The composition is the latest work in my “Visions of A New Migration” series. These paintings show what it would look like if descendants of the diaspora collectively decided to return to the continent of our ancestors. M.A.T.R.I.A.R.C.H shows the wealth in having the wisdom of the older women in our lives helping to guide us along the way. The central figures in this painting are my Great Aunt Addie, Grandma Pegram, Grandma Jones, Ms. Davis, and Ms. Huckaby. I used my subjects as segues into a culmination of larger conversations. Each dimension was painted with intention. My poem shares the vision.
M.A.T.R.I.A.R.C.H:Nurturing Our Tracks
From the train to the canopy,
This quest sounds like a plan to me.
The vision is for man to see.
YAH paved the way.
So my hand is free!
Traveling faster than a moving van,
We’ll pass by Powhatan
where Queen Kay raised hers on county land,
While our Mama J reared 5 on a street
of the same name.
This similarity didn’t even bother to intersect
until my mother and father began to connect.
There is a clear picture seen in Rosewater.
Was it the journey of Jerusalem’s daughter that caught her?
Bags packed, head wrapped, Bible strapped,
These queens don’t look stuck to me.
What a sight beheld by Ms. Huckaby!
A delightful delegation
departing from Main Street Station.
After tracking our tracks through the ocean,
She can see that Love has us coasting….
In the middle ground, far to the left
In a classy gown, Granny thinks to herself
as she looks beyond,
seeing The Hand of Heaven respond.
In front of the pond,
one Grandma dances to the dawn.
Beside one woman’s meditation
is another’s celebration….
And Queen Dorothy conducts with such authority,
She can stay seated on her stool
and still cause us to rise.
Each lens is just a tool,
knowing her mind has eyes.
And her flight is no surprise
cause she’s clothed with butterflies,
waiting on wooden wings….
watching what transformation really brings….
So they’ve all arrived
Seeing the tree come alive!
And we may not witness
each stage a tree grows or which way the wind may flow,
But there is that in which some do know,
Family meeting family is a win though.
It was eventful seeing Aunt Addie
look out her window.
Even our years carry tears…
And yet I replaced her Kleenex
with The Clean Text
because The Word binds us to The Best
and prepares us for what is next.
From the station near Richmond’s auction block
to Kakum National Park,
Our decision to embark will create a spark!
Our nanas are nurturing a new passion for home in our hearts
So we will never want to stay apart.
Yes the contrast of being here and there is stark,
But helping us to see the light
Is the mission of a M.A.T.R.I.A.R.C.H.
So this acronym will never be a mystery,
These letters are
Mothers Aspiring To Reap Inspiration After Reading Creation’s History.
©️2024 Jeromyah Jones
How do you determine when a work of art is complete?
One way that I determine when a work of art is complete is when I don’t feel an inner nagging to add more. I am an artist who easily feels an obligation to execute meticulous details throughout the surface of what I’m working on if I go in that direction. So once I feel a concrete level of contentment with my production, believe me when I say I try my best not to return to that particular piece. Furthermore, I know when a work of art is complete when I can’t stop looking at it!
What keeps you motivated in such a competitive industry?
My mission to share pertinent stories on stages that you rarely see artists exhibit their work keeps me motivated in this competitive industry. Not being able to rest until I fulfil my goals keeps me motivated. As competitive as I can be, I understand the importance of not paying too much attention to the competition. At this point in my professional journey, I focus more on completing and not competing.
Tell us about the artist who inspires and motivates you.
My Heavenly Father and my earthly father Jerome W. Jones, Jr. are the artists who inspire and motivate me. There is no artist greater than our Creator, and I am forever His apprentice. To be awakened each morning by The Master Artist is in my eyes the definition of motivation. Jerome Jones is the man who The Almighty entrusted me to study the Art of Life under. The versatility of his artistry has become a part of me. I am most inspired by the spiritual teachings intertwined in his work over time. His consistent history of painting collages is a dynamic and refreshing way to capture the subject matter. The love for The Word, nature, family, and community seen in his scenes have undoubtedly seeped into the nature of my themes.
What does success look like for you?
For me success is creating works of art that can withstand the test of time. Success for me is designing and redefining The G.A.M.E. (Great Art Music Education). For me success is reaching a time in my career where my paintings/poems become household visual recitals and literary titles.
About
Jeromyah Jones is a visual artist and poet with a 2011 Bachelor of Arts degree in Comprehensive Art from Hampton University. He and his father Jerome W. Jones, Jr. became the first African American artists to exhibit their works of art at the African Union in Ethiopia during Africa Day. In 2022 they were commissioned by Google to create the Juneteenth Google Doodle. Together they have exhibited at the Museum of The Bible in Washington, DC, the Hampton University Museum, the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of VA, The Gallery at Main Street Station, and the Trumpet Award Celebration in Atlanta. Jeromyah’s landscape paintings were featured at Maymont’s Centennial of the Japanese Garden. Furthermore, his art is in the collection of institutions such as the US Embassy in Djibouti, the US Embassy in Tunisia, the American College of Greece in Athens, the Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art in Alabama, and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh. His art has been featured in international and national print, online, and television outlets such as CSPAN, Newsweek, The New African Woman, CBN, CNN, Voice of America, The Art Newspaper, NBA on TNT, Ebony, LAND Magazine, Chess UK, The National Herald, The Today Show, and more. You can visit Jeromyah’s work at www.jeromewjonesjr.com
