About the Artist
I grew up in a rural town in Pennsylvania, where sculpture is not often found. In my undergraduate years at The Pennsylvania State University, my body of work focused around mental health, and the human experience of suffering from mental illness. Concurrently, I focused on honing my pottery skills when time would allow, following my passion in clay. Broadening the scope of my conceptual work during my graduate studies at Rochester Institute of Technology, I focused on my history in construction in relationship to my childhood, and the materials found in my life at that time. My graduate thesis explored the materiality of everyday materials and their relationship to value and labor.
Today, I continue to explore art while teaching and inspiring K-12 students to be creative and work with their hands. Check out my Store for current handmade pottery available and check out my Instagram @_jennadeal to find the latest deals on my pottery for sale. Please, reach out with any questions, comments, or commission possibilities!
Contact the Artist
dealljenna@gmail.com
570.951.1102
Artist CV
Education
2024 Master of Fine Art in Studio Art, Concentration in Sculpture, Rochester Institute of Technology,
Rochester, New York
2022 Bachelor of Fine Art in Art, Concentration in Sculpture, The Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer
Honors College, University Park, Pennsylvania
Professional Experience
2025- now 9-12 Art Teacher, Lee County School District, Fort Myers, FL
2024-2025 K-8 Art Teacher, Collier County Public Schools and Collier Charter Academy, Naples, FL
2023-2024 Coordinator and Instructor for Art Experience Program, Rochester Institute of Technology,
Rochester, NY
2023 Instructor of Record for Introduction to Sculpture, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2023-2024 Student Organization Founder and President - Sculpture Club, Rochester Institute Of Technology,
Rochester, NY
2023 Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Sculpture, Taught by Christina Leung, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2022-now Studio Technician and Monitor, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2022 Teaching Assistant for Foundry: Metal Casting and Mold Making, Taught by Kelly Wilton, Rochester
Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2022 Teaching Assistant for Foundry: Metal Casting and Mold Making, Taught by Cristin Millett, The
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2020 College of Arts and Architecture Mentor, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2020 Viral Imaginations: COVID-19 Gallery and Team Manager, The Pennsylvania State University, University
Park, PA
2019 Centered Earth Clay and Arts Studio Gallery Manager and Instructor, Muncy, PA
2018-2019 Ceramics Club President, The School of Visual Arts, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2015 - 2022 JMDeal Construction: Maintenance and Managing, Deal College Rentals, Bloomsburg, PA
Awards and scholarships
2024 Student Marshall Nominee, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2024 Outstanding Graduate Student Nominee, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2022 Student Marshall - The School of Visual Arts, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2021 Brian Betzler Memorial Award for Exemplary Artistic Achievement, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2018-2022 Provost’s Award, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2018-2022 Dean’s List, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Exhibition History
2024 Solo Exhibition, Reconstruct, Tower Fine Arts Center, Brockport, NY
2024 Reconstruct, MFA Thesis Exhibition, RIT City Art Space, Rochester, NY
2024 TOY's and JOY's Online International Juried Exhibition, Featured Artist, Exhibizone,
https://www.exhibizone.com/exhibitions
2023-2024 Artisan Corner Co-op Artist, Mifflinburg, PA
2023 Art Amplifies Hope, Group Exhibition for the Willow Domestic Violence Center, Rochester, NY
2022 Public Display, Things We Take for Granted and other various works, 4-month installation, The Danville
Business Alliance, Danville, PA
2022 Insight, Honors Thesis Solo Exhibition, Patterson Gallery, The Pennsylvania State University, University
Park, PA
2022 A Shift Within, Patterson Gallery, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2021 Black, White, and Gray, Patterson Gallery, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park,
PA
2021 Scholarship Award Exhibition, Zoller Gallery, The Pennsylvania State University, University
Park, PA
2020-2022 Viral Imaginations: COVID-19 Virtual Gallery Exhibition, The Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA
2020-2021 Things We Take For Granted, Riverside Laundromat Year-Long Outdoor Public Display, Danville, PA
2019 Donor Event for the School of Visual Arts, The House of the President, The Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, PA
2018 High School Art Competition, Haas Gallery at Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA
Workshops
2019 Peter’s Valley School of Craft, Clay Monoprinting Workshop with Czashka Ross, Layton, New Jersey
2019 Centered Earth Clay and Arts Studio, Ceramics workshop with Jen Allen, Muncy, Pennsylvania
2018 Bloomsburg University, 2 Stained Glass Classes, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Bibliography
2022 Thought Art Magazine, 3-time featured artist in Issue No. 5
2021 “Shelter-in-Art”: A Creative Memorialization of the Pandemic, Unraveling the Anthropocene: Race, Environment, and Pandemic, Podcast, https://sites.psu.edu/liberalartscollective/unraveling-the-anthropocene-podcast/episode-17-shelter-in-art-a-creative-memorialization-of-the-pandemic/
2020 The Daily Item, “Local Artist Creates Sculpture to Promote Togetherness,”
https://www.dailyitem.com/the_danville_news/news/loca
-artist-creates-sculpture-to-promote-togetherness/article_3b2e6c50-cd1b-11ea-b3ad-0387c0fd5c63.html