This publication was a full circle moment for me. I remember being a student and reading articles about successful alumni. I remember admiring their work ethic and how the experiences, relationships and skills that they started in Blacksburg later translated into their successful careers. Now being featured as one of those stories, it forces me to reflect on the past 5 years since graduating, moving to Raleigh, and laying the foundation of my career as an artist in this new city. I can only hope that the experiences, lessons, and skills that I share in this article can inspire a future alumni featured artist, just like the ones I read about did with me many years ago.
The article below was written by Jared Cole from Virginia Tech following our interview in October 2020. It was originally published through the Collage of Art and Urban Studies (CAUS) and then picked up by Virginia Tech News.
Photo by Tyler McQueen.
ARTICLE EXCERPT:
December 4, 2020
Through the looking glass
Virginia Tech alumna and visual artist Jackie Sanders charts her own course to artistic development and early career accomplishment.
If success isn’t a straight line, then Jackie Sanders should have it made.
This Virginia Tech alumna’s visual creations – in which sharp angles and stark, geometric patterns feature prominently – have found a flourishing home in the Raleigh, North Carolina, art scene. From highlights in local restaurants and gallery exhibits to her very own studio at Artspace, a popular downtown visual arts center, Sanders’ list of accolades continues to grow right alongside her fanbase.
Although her unique geometric style originated when she was young, she has architecture to thank for her beginnings as an artist, not art itself. Her parents own and operate a small architecture firm, and Sanders spent countless hours watching her father draw designs by hand.
“I grew up watching my dad and just hanging out in the office,” said Sanders. “I would play with extra Prismacolor pencils, stencils, and protractors on a drafting table with sheets of paper. Those were my coloring books, essentially.”