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Asheville artist redefines female strength in new exhibition SARAH SHADBURNE Arts & Features - sshadbur@unca.edu The presence of strong women in Jenny Pickens’ life shaped the world around her and energized her artwork. Now, as part of Wom en’s History Month, the Asheville-based artist redefines pivotal strength in her new exhibi tion of paintings titled Perseverance. “My grandmother was a strong woman,” Pickens said. “She was well up in her age and stepped in and took us all in.” Growing up, both Pickens’ parents were in prison and she was the youngest of four chil dren, who would have soon been separated if not for her grandmother. “I think about all the things she did for us,” Pickens said. “We didn’t go without food, we had a place to live, clothes and you know, she died before I could even thank her for that, but her being strong was something I expe rienced.” Pickens primarily depicts women in her paintings with a spe cial, lingering empha sis on their eyes. “I think it’s because I didn’t know my moth er when I was young,” Pickens said. “I haven’t seen her in 40 years. When I meet people I always try to look at them and see, ‘Is this her?”’ Her new exhibition Perseverance deals with women redefining what it means to be strong and persistent despite barriers to con tinue making an impact on the world. She said she cites her inspiration as being bom directly from her experience as a single mother. “When my kids were really young, we lived in a housing apartment and one day my son was outside and saw someone come through shooting and it scared him to death,” Pickens said. “He was afraid to leave the house. I told him, ‘We are getting up out of here, no matter what it takes.’” Pickens began her journey into art as a kindergartener with help from her supportive painting teacher, whose words and smile were always encouraging. “I always painted a house with a flower be side it for some reason,” Pickens muses. “She always used to tell me, ‘You are such a good artist’ and it made me think, ‘Yeah, maybe I do like this.’” Pickens was the featured artist for Black History Month last year, so when she got the email to participate for Women’s History Month this year, she was ready. Torre White, the 26-year-old daughter of Pickens is infused with the spirit of Persever ance, referencing times growing up when she pushed boundaries and asked questions when she and other women were excluded from things on the basis of their gender. “Even in middle school, I loved football. Why can’t a woman play football? So I tried out,” White laughs. “Anything that is suppos edly for men I feel like, why can’t a woman doit?” White tried a vari ety of activities in high school, such as ROTC and founding an LGBT club with her friends, because she knew how it felt to be discrim inated against over something you cannot change. “I don’t believe that because I’m a woman I have, to be defined as such. I can define my self. I don’t need soci ety to define me,” White said. White recently took her 7-year-old son to the Women’s March on Asheville, who toted a sign reading, “I stand with my mom.” “Although he may not understand the com plexity of it, he understands that when you stand together with a person despite what they look like, you can make changes,” White said. “That’s what I want to instill in my kids.” White learned from the art of her mother as a child and continues to take those lessons with her as an adult with a career. “It’s not always what a book and a school can teach you, but-what you allow yourself to learn and discover,” White said. Perseverance will be on display in the In- tercultural Center in Highsmith Union week days from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the closing reception on March 28. .'•v‘5 Jenny Pickens’ art relies heavily on her moods
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