We sat down with a glass of tequila and artist Jenny Ustick to chat a bit about her unique and powerful perspective as a street artist with a strong point of view. As a feminist and teacher, she uses her unique superpower for good.
Be sure to check out her work at our tequila bar La Ofrenda Tequila located at 30 Findlay Street. Her interpretation of Maria Felix can be seen on the front wall as well as the back wall inside. We’re also proud to have her amazing rendition of Earth Kitt as Catwoman at our karaoke bar Tokyo Kitty, located at 575 Race Street.
You’re an incredibly accomplished artist— most of the murals around OTR are yours or your students’ work created with hour guidance. Can you share with us a bit about your training and the work you do as a teacher?
I always knew I’d be an artist and that I was headed for art school. Even though I earned a scholarship to SVA in NYC, many things kept me in Cincinnati.
I attended the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and the same year I started grad school at DAAP, I started doing projects with ArtWorks. So ArtWorks and teaching at the university level will always be linked for me.
Ten years of ArtWorks really taught me so much— about people, about problem solving, about mutual support, about communication. It allowed me to build a portfolio and demonstrate that I could do ambitious things.
I did my first travel piece in 2017 at a residency in Argentina, and then another in Sicily in 2018. These were important learning experiences and a chance to link my academic research brain to my mural brain.
Finally, linking up with and watching other painters— painters of all kinds— has made me a very adaptable artist. Learning to let go of certain perfectionist tendencies in order to beast on a piece with a short timeline is a really liberating thing. I’m learning how to read when a situation calls for a big “image” moment, or a big “painting” moment [or when both are needed].
I also still make non-mural work in the studio, both by myself and with others. I enjoy having a really diversified practice. It’s right in line with the many facets of my personality. I encourage my students to be expansive and hungry for experience in this way.
Our Muse Maria Felix was a prolific artist in her own right— she filmed 37 movies in Mexico during her lifetime. You’re quite prolific yourself. What’s it like being able to create art around the city that connects with such a wide audience?
I’ve always been aware of what an incredible privilege it is to be invited to make work that so many people will see, and I take it very seriously. This visibility matters. And so it’s important to me to make work that emphasizes representation and inclusion. It’s also important to support, encourage, and celebrate artists from marginalized communities, whether they are students, mentees, friends, or peers.
The content of my work can be a bit tricky sometimes, though. It’s pretty well understood that street and public art is generally better received when there is an approachable subject, pleasing visuals, bright colors, etc. Most of my work leads with a feminist and/or anti-racist agenda. It’s a difficult needle to thread to design something that has eye-popping visuals but with an activist agenda. I think of the Doris Day piece I did in 2019 as an example where a lot of boxes were checked, just by depicting her: Cincinnati legend, feminist, LGBTQIA+ advocate, animal rights activist.
As we celebrate International Women’s Month, who are some badass women that inspire you?
First, my mom. A lot of folks say this. But my mom is BADASS. And so humble. Seriously a golden human being.
I think about some of the women I’ve made art about [not murals]. Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, Freddie Oversteegen, Phoolan Devi, Libby Gardner.
I’m trying to find a wall to paint a mural featuring Edmonia Lewis and Mary Cassatt in Chicago. This pair, this concept, is a perfect example of one of my deep dives into research, and of finding fascinating, intersecting stories that are significant to specific places.
Any closing thoughts?
I love the last question so much— “Who are some badass women that inspire me?” This is EXACTLY one of the first questions I ask when I’m planning my next piece.
In further celebration of International Women’s Month, make sure to join us this Friday at Cosmic Gorilla [located across the street from La Ofrenda] and Tiki Tiki Bang Bang for two unique female-forward events: “Women in Comics Cocktail Hour” and “Women of Tiki Takeover”. Click the links below for more details on these fun and free events!