Artist Statement: 
As an artist, I feel the need to connect my work to my own life and personal surroundings; this tends to take many forms in regard to types of media, though the themes and inspirations are fairly constant.
 
My work is consistently rooted in my immediate surroundings. Imagery is taken from objects and spaces in my home. Some work is narrative based, and derived from family relationships and personal stories.

​I am constantly striving for a sense of intimacy and connection, seeking to offer a more subtle message that invites the viewer to engage, explore and augment.
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Artist Bio: 
I come from a family of artists, and so art has always been part of who I am and what I do. I hold a BFA in drawing (with a minor in woodworking) and an MFA in Interdisciplinary art. I am currently on the Graphic Design and Fine Art faculty at Newbury College. I am a curator, an avid traveler, a neighborhood activist, a competitive runner, a biker, a reader, a gardener, and a mom. These all seem to inspire my art at one time or another.
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Artist Statement:
​My art is an exploration of my long-term memory with a focus on familial relationships. Each work functions as an emotional response to my past, fabricated to depict the fragility and loss that permeates the act of recollecting. Before I begin a new work, I situate my mind in a previous time. I bring myself to this place through writing, reminiscing with loved ones, navigating through souvenirs and familial archives, and revisiting significant environments from childhood and my adult life. When I arrive in the past mentally, I respond with my materials intuitively. The use of personal souvenirs are woven into my practice as they function as objects of remembrance and assist my recollections. I share intimate parts of my personal history so that others may feel connected through a similar sense of vulnerability, appreciation, loss, and reflection in their own life.

 

Artist Bio:
Jillian Vaccaro is an interdisciplinary artist and teacher, and currently works out of her studio in Somerville, MA. She received her BFA in studio art from Emmanuel College in 2014 and graduated from the low-residency MFA program at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2021. Jillian works across media describing memories from her past experiences. She is also a dedicated art educator, teaching visual arts in Boston.

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www.jillianvaccaro.com
Instagram: @jillianvaccaroartist