Marshall Art Retreat 2025 /  by Jackie Sanders

Marshall, NC | March 2025

Reconnecting with friends, nature, and getting grounded in creativity — what an amazing trip! For the second year in a row, I attended the Squirrel Brain, Chickadee Soul Retreat in Marshall, NC hosted by the incredibly talented Amanda Jeanne!

Last year my goal for this retreat was to get regrounded with my creative voice and my experience was rooted in experimentation, play, and discovery. Being a fulltime artist with a full-time day job at the time, this retreat served a different need for me — multiple days of PURE creativity and disconnect.

Now a year later, this retreat was grounding in a different way — connecting with fellow artists, embracing the energy of the day, and working primarily on a commission painting project (not pictured). Life as a full-time artist, has it’s own challanges but embracing the opportunity to get away and not have to put in a PTO request… THAT is a defining moment and this trip was JUST what my heart needed to "reset" as we jump into Spring!

Behind the Scenes of The Retreat

Heaing Transitions Custom Signage /  by Jackie Sanders

Women’s Campus Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Custom Corporate Building Signage | October 2024

 
 

Congratulations to Healing Transitions for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for their brand new Women’s Campus! Expanding on and improving their facility means more resources for more women in our community which is milestone worth celebrating! From more beds and bathrooms to a more efficient kitchen space and equiptment, this life saving space not only saves lives but it is a sign of hope for a better tomorrow!

As a local buinsess owner it is an honor to help Healing Transitions in this milestone, not only through quarterly donations from original J Sanders Studio Paintings sales, but ALSO with the creation of Custom Donor Signage for their space!

Bringing light, color, and hope to this building of healing and recovery, donor signage is the perfect way to celebrate the incredible supporters who make spaces like this possible.

PEOPLE helping PEOPLE.💙Together, long term-recovery IS possible.

Want to learn more about Healing Transitions, their new facility, and their BIG goals ahead? Visit them online: https://healing-transitions.org/

Need Signage For Your Space?

Shoot me an email and we’ll talk about your needs, brainstorm your project, and cast the vision for the possibilities in your space!

Healing Transitions’ Women’s Campus Donor Signage

Art Givers /  by Jackie Sanders

Local Non-Profit Spotlight: Art Givers

Supporting Healing & Supporting Artists

“ArtGivers makes the healing power of original art available to more people in more places. 

[They] purchase art from emerging artists and offer it for free to mission-driven organizations like free and charitable medical clinics, shelters, and drug rehab centers, to own and hang in their facilities. This supports both the people who view and engage with the art, and the artists who create it.”

Want to learn more about Art Giver and how you can be involved? Check out their website.

FRESH 2024 /  by Jackie Sanders

FRESH is a celebration of NC artists. With a new twist on our biennial fundraiser, FRESH not only includes both an open and a juried exhibition, but also live music as part of FRESH Sounds, FRESH Perspectives with panel discussions, roundtables, artist talks, and more, as well as programming for families with Artspace’s FRESH Family Day.

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Band Together: Mighty Giveback Event 2024 /  by Jackie Sanders

Band Together: Mighty Giveback Event

Live Painting Artist | Red Hat Amphitheater (Raleigh, NC) | Sept. 21, 2024

Supporting mental health services and affordable housing in the Triangle through the power of live music and philanthropy? It doesn’t get much better than that!

And that is what the Mighty Giveback Event is all about which is why I was honored to be asked to be a Live Painting Artist at the event. In addition to enjoying amazing vendors, food, and live music, visitors also watched visual art come to life before their eyes with the opportunity to bid on the final works during their live auction at the end of the night.

Together, they raised OVER 1 Million Dollars for mental health services and affordable housing in our area — that will single handedly provide service to over 11,000 people!

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who came out to support our community and thank you to the AMAZING Band Together and United Way team for putting on another successful event! THIS is what art and community are all about ❤️🎼🫶🏼

Want to learn more about the event and how you can be involved next year? Check out their website.

Heaing Transitions Annual Awards /  by Jackie Sanders

Fred Barber Service Awards

Healing Transitions Annual Awards | September 19, 2024

Recovery for ALL because recovery CAN’T WAIT💙

It was an honor to create Healing Transitions’ 2024 Fred Barber Legacy of Service Awards and attend their recognition ceremony two weeks ago! Highlighting the incredible, life-saving work of their community members, the recipients of these awards have gone above and beyond with their service and have made an INCREDIBLE impact on the continued recovery of program participants.

THIS is what service and community in action looks like. PEOPLE helping PEOPLE.💙

Congratulations to all for the 2024 award recipients and THANK YOU for the life changing service that you give to others. Together, long term-recovery IS possible.

Want to learn more about Healing Transitions? Visit them online: https://healing-transitions.org/

Trig Modern /  by Jackie Sanders

I am BEYOND excited to share that J Sanders Sudio original paintings are now available at Trig Modern! Trig Modern, based in Raleigh, NC, is your go-to destination for mid-century modern furniture, dedicated to curating timeless designs that transform living spaces with sophistication and style.

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Hunter Magnet Elementary School /  by Jackie Sanders

Hunter Magnet Elementary School Community Engagement Mural

30ft x 17ft Indoor Community Engagement Mural | Feb.-May 2024 | Raleigh, NC

⭐ One Less White Wall… Student Edition! ⭐

After working with Hunter GT/AIG Basics Magnet Elementary School in the Spring of 2023 I was BEYOND excited to continue as a Creative Community Partner for their Geometric Art Elective in the Spring of 2024

Over several weeks, the students not only learned about the power of murals and public art but they also worked WITH me to bring an abstract geometric mural to life IN THEIR SCHOOL!

⭐ These Hunter STARS are leaving their mark on their school! ⭐

Through lectures, creative activities, and the hands-on experience of painting ON THE WALL, these 4th and 5th grade students had the unique experience of leaving their mark on their school to be celebrated for years and generations to come!

Located in one of the main hallways, our mural transformed a once overlooked space into a destination and memorable moment for students, teachers, and community members. 

Say goodbye to another white wall. These Hunter STARS left their mark!

A Memorable Impact on a Once Overlooked Hallway!

Behind The Scenes of Bringing The Mural To Life:

For more behind the scenes videos and photos, visit @JSandersStudio on Instagram.

Project Timeline:

Late February 2024 - May 2024 (Spaced out so the students can see and learn about the creative process!)

✅ Phase 1 - Prep the Space - complete!

✅ Phase 2 - Doodle Grid - complete!

✅ Phase 3 - Sketch Design - complete!

✅ Phase 4 - Add Color Blocks - complete!

✅ Phase 5 - Add Dynamic Outline - complete!

…See updates in in the photo gallery below!

Want to see more projects like this come to life?

Hunter GT/AIG Basics Magnet Elementary School is Wake County's first and finest magnet school! The unique Gifted and Talented/Academically Intellectually Gifted (GT/AIG) theme gives students the opportunity to identify, explore, and expand their gifts and talents in AIG, the content areas, and in multiple areas of the visual and performing arts. 

Named a Nationally Certified Magnet School and a TOP 24 Magnet Schools of America School of Excellence, Hunter was founded on the five pillars of…

  • Diversity

  • Innovative curriculum and professional development

  • Academic excellence

  • High quality instructional systems

  • Family and community partnerships

The synergistic relationship of these five equally held tenets is not merely a foundation, but a compass moving students/children forward to a well prepared future.

Behind The Scenes of Bringing This Mural To Life:

For more behind the scenes videos and photos, visit @JSandersStudio on Instagram.

King's Auto Mural /  by Jackie Sanders

Located near the Skate Park, right off of Capital Blvd, this once white wall was transformed into a geometric circuit of shapes and colors. Following my mural at Sk8Park Raleigh and seeing how my design activated the space, Kings Auto approached me about transforming their once overlooked space into a destination and memorable moment for Raleigh commuters on Capital Blvd.

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"Casual Nonsense" Podcast Interview /  by Jackie Sanders

Artist and podcaster Jackie Sanders invite listeners into a world where art is celebrated, artists are empowered, and meaningful conversations flourish. Through the "Casual Nonsense" podcast, she delves into the challenges faced by artists, the impact of their work, and the vibrant art scene of Raleigh, North Carolina.

With her warm and engaging personality, Jackie creates a safe space for artists to share their stories and insights while reminding listeners of the immense value of art in our lives. Whether you're an artist looking for inspiration or an art enthusiast wanting to support the creative community, this podcast is sure to captivate and uplift you.

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Bold Journey Article /  by Jackie Sanders

CanvasRebel approached me in the Summer of 2023 wanting to share my story, business, and creative journey with their readers.

Primarily covering my new creative porject, the Jackie Sanders Micro-Gallery, this article also unpacks my mission is to transform life’s mundane moments into memorable experiences and help people slow down to become more present to the moment that they are in.

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Sk8Raleigh Public Art Mural /  by Jackie Sanders

Sk8 Raleigh Public Art Mural

3ft x 10ft Parking Lot Mural | September 2023 | 905 Capital Blvd Raleigh NC

Every space has the potential to be a creative backdrop, and a parking lot is no different!

If you haven’t already seen it, Sk8Park Raleigh is putting a once empty community space to good use with their new skate park off of Capital Blvd! Re-energizing this space with movement and community, the skate park opened during the Summer of 2023 and is now going to take it a step further by filling the space with color!

Side by side, myself and a curated group of local artists are going to bring bold and colorful murals to the safety barriers between the skate park and the parking lot. Visible from Captial Blvd, this paintings will be enjoyed for years to come!

Over the month of September — keep an eye out! Or, if you are available, attemnd one of Sk8Park Raleigh’s free community events where you will get to meet the artists and see our work come to life right before your eyes!

  • Sept 15th - Group Paint “Meet the Artists” Event (5-9pm)

  • Oct 1st - “Community Skate and See” Event and see all of the completed murals (1-5pm)

Want a colorful mural for your corporate or community space? Let’s bring your vision to life!

Contact me directly at JSandersStudio@Gmail.com to get started.

 

Behind The Scenes of Bringing It To Life:

For more behind the scenes videos, visit @JSandersStudio on Instagram.

Skatepark Raleigh (Raleigh, NC)

Conlon Family Skatepark

“A two-and-a-half-acre space for skateboarders, BMX bikers, and roller skaters, the Conlon Family Skatepark welcomes people-powered wheels of all sizes and shapes.

Features include: 

  • 11,000 square feet of skatable area designed to emulate the urban landscape

  • A flat bar

  • A 14” high grind ledge

  • A mellow down rail

  • A slappy curb

  • A couple of turn-around banks

  • Plus, a stair and some grind pads”

Learn more here.

Rocky Branch Greenway Tunnel Mural Painting with Taylor White /  by Jackie Sanders

Rocky Branch Greenway Tunnel Mural Painting with Taylor White

On View As Of August 30, 2023 | Raleigh, NC

If you live in North Carolina, you know how thereputic our Greeway Trails can be. From escaping the noise of the city to discovering new paths, the trails are a sanctuary for many residents in the Triangle. But some areas are given more love than others.

It was a pleasure to re-energize a once neglected part of the Greenway Trail in Dorothea Dix Park with a mural painting by Taylor White. While bringing her vision to life we had several individuals on their daily runs or bikerides stop and tell us what an impact the color was already having on the space.

Murals in a community space have the unique ability to bring light, color and safety to once neglected spaces which ultimately brings the community together!

Thank you to Taylor White, Dorothea Dix Conservancy, and the dozens of community volunteers who brought this project to life! This project truly is what community is all about!

Want a colorful mural for your corporate or community space?

Let’s bring your vision to life! Contact me directly at JSandersStudio@Gmail.com

Behind The Scenes Of The Work In Progress:

Taylor White | Muralist & Painter

Taylor White is an American painter and muralist whose work engages with the fundamental elements of being. Combining refined techniques of classical training with bright, unexpected color choices born from the residue of street art and pop culture, White’s work explores the way in which we experience the formless chaos of potential through being, and how the order we inhabit can sometimes dissolve backwards into the incredible complexity from which it emerged. 

White was raised in Raleigh, NC and educated at the Savannah College of Art and Design, completing her BFA in Illustration in 2007. Upon graduating, she began contributing her efforts to acclaimed Oslo-based advertising agency TRY/Apt, as the first and only full-time illustrator hired in a Norwegian agency at the time.

Three years later her choice to pursue painting brought her to Australia, where she found a new kind of success traversing the textures of urban environments, furnishing the streets and galleries of Melbourne with her uniquely haunting, expressive portraits of forlorn youth.

She has exhibited internationally from Melbourne to Berlin, LA, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit. She has contributed to events for Juddy Roller, Outer Space Project, Richmond Mural Project, Murals in the Market, Branded Arts, BLINK Cincinnati, and SCOPE Miami Beach. In 2018 she worked with Google Fiber to create one of the largest public-facing Augmented Reality murals in the world. In 2021 she completed Raleigh’s second Augmented Reality mural, “8-Bit to 5G,” a tribute to the future of gaming and esports in the City of Raleigh. Clients have included Google Fiber, Hyatt Hotels, Microsoft, Lululemon, AC Hotels by Marriott, and Kane Realty Corp.

She is currently based in Raleigh, NC. Learn more about Taylor White and her work here.

Dix Park Conservancy: A Park For You

As a community, we’re visionaries, thinkers, doers, creators, and listeners dedicated to this bold idea to revolutionize the land of Dix Hill to be a place that inspires awe. We relish playing and relaxing in equal measure. We also behold the power of open, green spaces and the stories of the land.

The City of Raleigh owns and operates Dorothea Dix Park. Dix Park Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to support the City in its efforts, serve as its philanthropic and community engagement partner, and ensure the creation and long-term success of Dorothea Dix Park as a place for everyone – a transformative public space for community, health, and celebration that will enrich our quality of life in North Carolina.

Learn more about Dix Park Conservacy here.