By Mark Ambrogi
There are two major reasons Jessica Springman was thrilled with being selected as a resident in the Stutz Studio Residency Program.
As one of two winners, she will receive free studio space in the Stutz Business and Arts Center, 1060 N. Capital Ave., Indianapolis from October 2015 through September 2016.
Springman said an advantage to residency would be having dedicated studio space to complete larger works.
“Typically now my larger works are 32 inches by 40 inches. I would like to like to get to the point where I am doing wall-sized drawings,” she said.
She also said the studio’s central location is another benefit.
“To have a place where I can have people that are interested in art come see my work,” Springman said. “Hopefully, I’ll find people that can not only be collectors of my work but advocates for it.”
Springman’s speciality is pen and ink drawings.
“I do incorporate some watercolor sometimes and I work in paper cuts,” she said.
Springman, 42, who has two children, Madaline, 19, and Stephan, 15, is a statistician for the Nielsen Co.
She moved from Salt Lake City, Utah, to be closer to her family, living three years in Fishers and the last 14 years in Noblesville.
Sarah Kercheval, Stutz residency chairperson, said the competition is stiff. The two winners, the other being Kristy Hughes of Indianapolis, were selected from six finalists who gave in-person presentations.
The residency is one of the largest grants to an individual artist in the state. Funding for the residency program comes from proceeds from the association’s annual Raymond James Stutz Artists Open House in April.
“Jessica’s work was excellent and her background was great,” Kercheval said. “Everything fit and she gave a great presentation. She is an emerging artist.”
Springman’s first professional fine art exhibition was “The Self Portrait Show” at Gallery 924 at the Arts Council of Indianapolis in June 2013. Since then, she has exhibited in 11 galleries throughout Central Indiana and has participated in 18 group shows and three solo shows.
Springman is a member artist at the CCA Gallery in Carmel. She received second place for aluminum 2D sculpture in the 2015 Sun King Brewing CANvitational Art Show.
