Introducing Jessica "Jeki" Lee Perry, Our New Artist in Residence
40 West Arts District Welcomes Jessica “Jeki” Lee Perry as New Artist in Residence in 2021
Lakewood, CO – 40 West Arts District welcomes Jessica “Jeki” Lee Perry (she/her) as the 2021 Artist in Residence, beginning in June 2021. As 40 West Arts Districts Artist in Residence, Jessica will serve the community with free programming and inclusive workshops focused on a multitude of mixed media techniques. Her tenure will focus on providing arts education in visual storytelling and artist voice, she will lead a community mural project during one of the district's many events .
Jessica enters the role after 16 years of arts education, beginning in Rhode Island and winding through a number of local Denver Metro area schools, as well as a life-time appreciation and years of professional experience. “What sets me apart from other art educators is my ability to modify my lessons so that every student can participate and feel successful. This involves making modifications regarding choice of materials, introducing alternative processes, and adapting the way the content is delivered,” says Jessica. Her focus on inclusive teaching serves the 40 West Arts mission in creating and connecting with an underserved community to celebrate arts and culture.
“The Artist in Residence program is one of our favorites in the District, and a great opportunity to connect arts education directly with our community. We’re thrilled to onboard Jessica to this program, and are confident that her time here will bring more energy and vibrancy to our West Colfax community,” says Executive Director Liz Back, reflecting on the importance of the Artist in Residence program. “She has tremendous talent and felt like an obvious fit during the selection process.”
The 40 West Artist in Residence program hosts free classes, open studio hours, and First Friday craft-making projects during the year. Courses and classes are geared toward beginners with the idea that creativity is an innate human trait. 40 West Arts welcomes artists of all levels and believes that anyone can tap into their creative presence through learning and doing.
The program was launched in 2014 to partner with local, emerging artists on a one-year residency to offer free programming to the general community. This program is intended to serve as a powerful and catalytic initiative that brings energy to the area, provides a differentiator for the organizations involved, and demonstrates to the community the ability for multiple organizations and agencies to collaborate on a common mission: to energize the corridor.
40 West Arts is a non-profit, state-certified creative district along Lakewood’s historic West Colfax Avenue with the mission of energizing West Colfax through community art spaces, experiences, exhibitions, and events that engage the whole family. We are an inclusive organization with a commitment to creativity that inspires artistic experimentation for both the novice and professional, and expands the creative, cultural, entrepreneurial, economic, and physical vitality of our community. Create, connect, and celebrate with us.
To learn more about Jessica’s upcoming class opportunities, stay connected with 40 West Arts on social media, and via our monthly newsletter. More information at: www.40WestArts.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Katy Zeigler, Director of Communications
40 West Arts, WCCA, Lakewood-West Colfax BID
katy@40westarts.org | https://GoWestColfax.org
