Jean at a gallery opening
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My hands are drawn to creative expression in clay, both in sculpture and in the garden. I also love the immediacy of watercolor and the transparency and vibrancy of the paint. I am inspired by the natural beauty of Woodstock, where I have owned a home for 25 years, and am stimulated by the cultural vibrancy of my native NYC, where I maintain an apartment. I sculpt in the city and paint in the country.
I have been studying and making art since the 1970’s concurrently with pursuing a career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In 1985 I became the founding CEO of Weston United, a not-for-profit organization based in Harlem which provides housing and services for homeless individuals with mental illness and other behavioral disorders. I was able to bring my creativity to the workplace, by developing the innovative employment programs Urban Gardens, Visionary Bookstore and Gallery M.
My muse has been calling me; I retired in June 2016 in order to dive more deeply into art. I am studying sculpture with Rhoda Sherbell at the Art Students League and previously at the National Academy Museum & School. I am studying watercolor at the Woodstock School of Art with Staats Fasoldt and Richard Segalman. I have been showing work in galleries both in NYC and the Hudson Valley. In 2017 I have begun to experiment with abstraction and the medium of pastel.
Read a Sanctuary Magazine interview with Jean Here.https://www.sanctuary-magazine.com/interview-jean-newburg.html
and Here https://www.sanctuary-magazine.com/jean-newburg.html