Jill Weisberg

Jill Weisberg is an acclaimed artist best known for her mixed media paintings, public art, and installations. Since 1996, the work of this FAU Graphic Design graduate, who earned her MFA in 2010 and her BFA in 1994 from the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, has been exhibited at shows, museums and galleries throughout the nation, including the NSU Museum of Art, Truman State University Gallery in Missouri, Gallery RFD in Georgia, Art + Culture Center of Hollywood, FAT Village, Wynwood Walls, and the Miami Design District.

"I started painting at about 6 years old and have always been creating art," Weisberg said. "Most of my influences are female artists like Barbara Kreuger, Jenny Holzer and Judy Chicago that deal with feminist concepts and themes."

According to her press materials, Weisberg is described as "a contemporary artist whose paintings and large scale installations call attention to the feminine types and stereotypes interlaced with more challenging notions of feminist theory." She was awarded a Creative Investment Program Grant from the Broward Cultural Division for her exterior, type-based public art installation: She Comes First. Weisberg co-owns and co-curates Storefront Art Studio, a gallery and project space in Hollywood and is the Principal/Creative Director of Schrift & Farbe Design Group. She is also the curator and project manager of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Hollywood’s Downtown Hollywood Mural Project.

"My BFA helped me develop myself as a Graphic Designer and be marketable to find employment in my field," Weisberg said. "I am really fascinated by design and fine art and how it relates to advertising and culture. I really wanted to explore the crossroads between art and design and getting my MFA allowed me the time to expand on what I learned the first time around, and to really dig deeper into what I was personally interested in."

Weisberg’s work shares a dynamic beauty and complexity in its messages. She said that she her intention is to "get my message or vision across by using text or pop imagery in a very visually appealing way. I believe we have so many things competing for our attention sometimes, it's difficult to know where to look. I feel that using visually fascinating materials that play with the light really pull that attention to my work. Plus, they are very satisfying to work with."

She said she is "always super humbled" whenever anyone wants to purchase something that she created. "I definitely feel like there are certain people who are attracted to nostalgia or feminist themes that like my work, but also you have others that really like the reflective/shimmery qualities of my work."

Weisberg said that he hopes those who view her art stop, take a look, and spend some time with what is before them. "For my mixed media work, I am doing something very meditative on a super small scale to create these pieces. With my large-scale public art, I feel it's important to streamline my concept to get my vision through to the viewer quickly," she said.

When reflexing on her years at FAU, Weisberg said that her favorite undergrad class was with [Associate Professor] Walter Delaney. "He really made us think about design in a new way," Weisberg said. "By far one of my most interesting grad classes was called "’Visualizing Race" and was taught by [former FAU Assistant professor] Peter Fine. We had to send away our DNA to see what our ancestry was for the class. When we got the results back, it was very surprising for some of the class members. This class would be very timely if taught today. I really enjoyed my professors in grad school because they gave me time to explore so many facets of Graphic Design. I absolutely loved Professor Linda Johnson's handmade book class for many so many reasons, especially because that's where I had my first experience with a letterpress."

Weisberg, who was born, raised and lives in Hollywood, offers sage advice to FAU art students who want their work exhibited: "Be your own advocate! There are so many platforms where you can showcase and sell your own work online now. Do your research and see what fits for you. Also, it can be very helpful to visit all of your local galleries and connect with local artists in your community. You never know when you might meet someone who has a great suggestion or can introduce you to a collector."

For more information on Weisberg, please visit:

• jillcweisberg.com
• schriftfarbe.com
• storefrontartstudio.com
• hollywoodfl.org/989/Downtown-Hollywood-Mural-Project