Reason To Be

Jessica Jackson Hutchins is known for her paintings and ceramic sculptures, but in the last several years has begun to create architectural insertions using fused glass. Made from cut and carved pieces of glass melted together in a kiln, this process allows the artist flexibility in creating quasi-narrative panels that mix shapes and words drawn from contemporary culture.

In her repurposed bus shelter, Jackson Hutchins replaces the functional glass walls with baroque decorative panels, some with phrases and words that recall the advertising function of these public shelters. The artist has replaced the bench with a hammock, taking participants away from the fast pace of downtown’s business environment and giving works a place to rest, and perhaps to dream. Her work embraces issues of public citizenship and personal spirituality.

Jackson Hutchins was born in Chicago in 1971 and currently lives and works in Portland. She received her MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1999, and in 1994 received her BA in Art History from Oberlin College, Ohio. She has been showing nationally and internationally since 1996.