If you’ve walked through the PAC in the last year, you’ve probably noticed some of the interesting art residing in its halls. Sculptures made of sticks, assorted foliage and even dirt can make the space feel more like a forest than a university hallway. Several of these beautiful pieces are the work of senior art major Jessica Ferrari. I sat down with Ferrari earlier this week to ask her about her life and the unique art that she creates.
“I was born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina,” said Ferrari. “Kind of basic America. When I was little, my dad gave me a Norman Rockwell calendar, and I would look at all the pictures and think, ‘wow, this guy is amazing.’ I really liked how his work connected with what everyone was going through.”
Inspired by Rockwell, she soon began making her own work. Her early forays into art were, like many artists, in the form of drawing and painting. She would often enter a meditative state while drawing and completely zone out.
“I really liked switching from left brain to right brain,” said Ferrari. “I’d forget about everything going on around me.”
[media-credit id=5328 align=”alignnone” width=”678″]
[/media-credit]
Her hobby became more serious when she took her first art class as a senior in high school. Prior to taking the class, she expected to study business in college, but after showing potential and receiving encouragement from her painting teacher, Mr. Clark, she began to consider pursuing a college education in art.
“Business is very utilitarian with its budgets and all that,” said Ferrari. “Art is almost the opposite. It’s about taking the time to make things that are pleasing and beautiful and trying to give the viewer a moment of contemplation and peace.”
She ended up choosing Union after the kindness she experienced when touring the campus.
While Ferrari is talented in many artistic mediums, she chose to specialize in sculpture because of its physical nature.
“I like to get my hands dirty,” said Ferrari. “The sweat that it takes is really fulfilling.”
Her decision to use mostly natural materials stems from the artistic inspiration she finds in nature.
“I have always found a moment of peace and beauty while in nature, especially by myself,” said Ferrari. “Eventually, I started collecting natural materials to share with other people.”
This collecting quickly began informing her art-making practice. Ferrari said she hopes that by presenting sculptures made of natural materials in a new environment (such as the PAC hallway), God’s creation would be illuminated, and the viewer might walk away with new eyes for the beauty of His creation.
[media-credit id=5328 align=”alignnone” width=”678″]
[/media-credit]
Ferrari is more than just a talented artist—she is known by many around Union for the love and grace she shows to everyone she encounters.
“She’s probably the kindest person I’ve ever met,” said Lynn Tucker, senior art major.
Ferrari also plays the banjo and rides a unicycle, although only in one direction.
“I trained myself in my garage, and there was only a right turn before I ran out of space,” she explained with a laugh.
Her plans after Union aren’t finalized, but she knows she’d like to teach in some capacity because she believes art has the power to help people in so many different ways. Regardless of where she ends up, she hopes that her degree will allow her to help those around her and continue making art wherever God leads.
Photos courtesy of Neil Cole