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An Unblighted Area Exhibit
about the exhibit
Heartland’s Joe McCauley Gallery presents the collection An Unblighted Area. The exhibit ran from August 19 to October 11, 2024.
An Unblighted Area was an exhibition about what used to be. In 2009, Jessica helped turn an abandoned lot across from her bar on Main Street in Peoria into a community garden. Since then, with changes to the neighborhood that include closing her own business in 2015, the once-thriving garden was abandoned and now flaunts a “No Trespassing” sign. In 2023, She moved back into the same building to open her art studio and was unable to start a new garden. In response, she began creating an artistic garden of her own, using paper flowers to tell this story.
“I always try to create things that have a story and are somewhat surprising. The ingredients to my work start as garbage, but when you see the end result, I want that fact to come as a surprise.” - Jessica
Want to purchase an original piece
from this collection?
Jessica talks about what inspired her to create this exhibit, and the materials that she used in its construction.
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