Jen Swearington

Charleston, SC

Jen Swearington grew up in rural Indiana, drawing since she was little. She studied fine art and art history, earning a BFA in Sculpture from Pratt Institute in 1997 and MFA in Fibers from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2000, spent a year as Resident Artist at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN, and then settled in Asheville, NC. In 2003, she founded Jennythreads Studio, producing artistic apparel screenprinted with her illustrations, thus crafting a creative living. In 2018 and 2019, Swearington traveled abroad for several month-long art residencies in Bulgaria, Mexico, Finland, and Greece. She filled sketchbooks with drawings and created collapsible carousel pop-up books that could travel in her carry-on suitcase. In March 2020, Swearington relocated to Charleston, SC and continues her creative journey on the coast. As a 2021 Gibbes Museum Visiting Artist, she builds papercut sculptures into castaway suitcases and mirrors she finds on her morning runs.

Artist Website

www.jennythreads.com