Arielle Jessop

Written by: Katty Nguyen and Ciara Rae

Arielle Jessop is an artist in based in Holyoke, MA and is affiliated with Brick Coworkshop. She also considers herself as a creator, writer, poet, painter, actor, film maker, but primarily an artist. Her passion in life involves creating art, whether it be acting, writing, painting or illustrating. Her goal in life is to make others feel things in their human existence.

Jessop is currently influenced by the people whom she has close relationships with as well people that she witnesses in her daily life. She also enjoys nature and therefore is influenced by landscapes and the world around her. Jessop’s work is unique in the way in which each artist is different in themselves. She says that every artist creates work for different reasons, and that every single individual has a different creation. Jessop, however, creates personal work with a sort of vulnerability that many may not see.

Her journey to success began at an art school in the University of Concordia in Montreal. It was a very calm environment that focuses more on concept than techniques. After graduating from Concordia, Jessop moved to New York City and was involved in the artwork there. This included community work through art programs for fosters kids in the Bronx, in order to bring art into the community. Her family is not really artistic, but she found a mentor that had a gallery where she would show off her artwork. She first began with painting some landscapes and it later on evolved from there. Jessop eventually applied to graduate school, but was unfortunately rejected from many. At this point in her life, she said that she wanted to burn all her paintbrushes and never paint again. The power of rejection is intense, however, where at that moment, she had to make a choice of whether or not she should continue with being an artist. Once Jessop was committed, she really started to make work and try to find herself. In order to make herself better, she knew she had to make bad work and accept the rejections and criticisms. To her, success comes from making work constantly and learning from one’s failures.

Jessop describes her artistic personality to be split. On one hand, she shows work in a gallery in Ogunquit, Maine where it is more naturalistic and is generally sold over the summer. Her website, http://www.ariellejessop.com/, reflects that gallery and her artwork in it. Jessop is also affiliated with Brick Coworkshop, a company that is involved in the art and culture of Holyoke. It is about 3 years old, and she has been there for 1 year. People can find her by looking up Brick Coworkshop, her website, Instagram, or Facebook. Her studio doors are always open for people to walk through.

Jessop is involved with the city of Holyoke, charter and public schools have field trips to the Brick studio. Their goal is to integrate the communities in Holyoke since they are still separated. Jessop grew up in Amherst, MA and therefore is from the area. After living in Brooklyn for 8 years, and not being where she wanted to be with her art, she decided to move back. Jessop calls it faith, where she randomly talked to a current co-worker, where she was then drawn into Brick Coworkshop in Holyoke, MA. She says that she loves the city as well as the people and the energy in the building. It was not a conscious decision on her part, it just happened.

Her advice for any artist out there is to just make it. Whether it is bad or good, just make it because there is always a different way to create something and it always good to learn from one’s mistakes. We live in a country that doesn’t have a lot of assistance in the art world and it is hard to make money since there are a lot of discouraging barriers. She says, “Just stick to your guns and try to keep working every single day even when you don’t feel like it. Push through those days where you don’t want to keep going and just make it”.