Henri Matisse once said, "What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter—a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue."
I would add “and mental fatigue” to the end of Matisse's statement. Life is hectic—we are absolutely bombarded with marketing messages, political posts, 24-hour news cycles, etc... My previous 15-years in Art Direction necessitated my designing of this type of information.
As of 2017, I have largely withdrawn from 'spamming' ideas and beliefs on other people. Today I live as a full-time artist, and tend to focus on creating paintings that refresh people and bring them joy!
That said, my specific philosophy on art (or my ‘Artist Statement’) follows:
The blank canvas is filled with endless possibilities… A single mark creates space. Lines create shapes. Shape and color create form. Forms, and the negative shapes between them, create structure. The plastic qualities of the paint and the two-dimensionality of the surface excite my senses.
The significance of my work lies in the formalist aesthetics and the inherent qualities of the medium — the line, color, shape, form, structure, composition, and plasticity. Painting is a visual experience. You need not know anything about me, read my artists statement, or bring anything but your visual perception to love (or hate) my painting for exactly what is.
My recent body of work revolves around parks and gardens, but the object (i.e. the park or garden) is a mere starting point. It is the act of painting and the language of formalism guides me in my practice — and I am absolutely fascinated by the opportunity to capture the complexity and chaos of the world in plastic terms.
Education
2007 - 2011 Fox School of Business, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA MBA, Marketing Strategy
1995 - 2000 Wright State University, Dayton OH BFA, Painting, Minor Art History Magna Cum Laude
Awards & Honors
2018 Awarded Best in Show, Embodying Masonic Values, The Masonic Temple, Philadelphia, PA
2003 Awarded Second Place Best in Show, New Rochelle Art Association, New Rochelle, NY
2000 Awarded Honorable Mention, Culture Works Gallery, Dayton, OH
2000 Awarded Full Scholarship, Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY
2000 Awarded Teaching Assistantship, Wright State University, Dayton, OH
1996-2000 Awarded Numerous Tuition Scholarships, St. Louis Community College and Webster University, St. Louis, MO
1996 Awarded Full Scholarship, Webster University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
1992-2000 Awarded Numerous Merit-based Scholarships, St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, MO
Professional Experience
1993 - Present Jenn Hallgren Fine Artist, Philadelphia, PA
2001 - Present Art Instructor, companies include: • City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA • Painting with a Twist, Philadelphia, PA • Norwalk Community College, Norwalk, CT • K-12 Gallery for Young People, Dayton, OH • Wright State University, Dayton, OH
2002 - 2019 Art Director, companies include: • Hallgren Creative, Philadelphia, PA • NAPCO, Philadelphia, PA • Herrin Publishing, Philadelphia, PA • Professional Media Group, Norwalk, CT
2011 - 2019 Board Member, organizations include: • DaVinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA • Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, Philadelphia, PA
2012 - 2015 Marketing & Business Development Consultant, Arts & Business Council, Philadelphia, PA
2002 Fine Art Festival Coordinator, Fairfield Commons, Dayton, OH
1994 - 1998 Art Gallery Sales & Marketing Specialist, Center for Photography, St Louis, MO
Exhibitions
Solo
2019 Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA 11/03/2019
InLiquid at Twenty Manning Grill, Philadelphia, PA
2018 Watermark Gallery, Watermark at Logan Square, Philadelphia, PA
Group
2019 Art of the Flower, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
The Sum of Us, Henry Gallery at Penn State, Malvern, PA
2018 Embodying Masonic Values, The Masonic Temple, Philadelphia, PA Juried Exhibition
Celebration of Art and Life, Penn Medicine, Perelman Building, Philadelphia, PA
Dear Fleisher, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA
PwaT Show, PwaT, Philadelphia, PA
Looking Forward, Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
2017 Art of the Flower, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA Juried Exhibition
2016 200th Anniversary Art Exhibition, Philadelphia Athenaeum, Philadelphia, PA Juried Exhibition
2003 88th Annual Juried Show, New Rochelle Art Association, New Rochelle, NY Juried Exhibition
2000 Self Portrait, Culture Works Gallery, Dayton, OH Juried Exhibition
Chautauqua Art Show, Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY
Senior Group Show, Galleries at Wright State U, Dayton, OH
1992-2000 Numerous Student Shows • St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, MO • Webster University, St. Louis, MO • Wright State University, Dayton, OH
