Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Bell.
Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey as an artist has been shaped by creativity, education, and a desire to make art accessible to everyone. While I have been making art for many years, I officially launched my public art business in 2021. What began as a leap of faith quickly grew into opportunities to create larger and more ambitious work in communities across the country.
As a contemporary sculptor, educator, and mother, I have always been interested in how art can bring people together and transform everyday spaces. My background in art education taught me the importance of engagement, curiosity, and creating welcoming experiences, values that continue to influence my public art practice today.
Since starting my business, my work has expanded nationally, with public art projects ranging from New Jersey to California. I have created sculptures for parks, healthcare facilities, universities, residential developments, and community spaces, often working closely with stakeholders, architects, engineers, and residents to develop site-specific artworks. Along the way, I have received artist residencies, grants, awards, and exhibition opportunities that have helped me grow both professionally and creatively.
My practice continues to evolve as I explore new materials, larger scales, and more immersive experiences. While my public art focuses on creating joyful, accessible spaces for communities, my studio practice explores themes of family, culture, memory, and identity. Today, I am grateful to be working as a national public artist while continuing to teach, create, and pursue projects that inspire connection, play, and reflection.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road, but the challenges have helped me grow both as an artist and a business owner. When I launched my public art business in 2021, I was primarily focused on creating artwork. As opportunities began to grow rapidly, I had to learn how to manage the business side of a creative practice just as seriously as the artistic side.
One of the biggest challenges was developing systems and procedures to handle contracts, budgets, invoicing, project timelines, and all of the logistics that come with large-scale public art projects. As projects increased in size and complexity, I quickly realized that success depended not only on making great artwork but also on building a strong foundation for the business.
Another important lesson was learning how to build a reliable team. Public art is highly collaborative, and I have spent the last several years cultivating relationships with fabricators, engineers, installers, rendering specialists, and other artists who help bring projects to life. Finding the right people and learning how to effectively manage teams has been essential to my growth.
Balancing all of this while working as an educator and raising my son has also required a lot of flexibility and perseverance. There have been moments when I felt stretched thin, but each challenge has strengthened my confidence and expanded my capabilities. Looking back, I am grateful for those experiences because they have helped transform a small business into a national public art practice.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a community and public artist. My practice spans a wide range of materials, processes, and scales, making it difficult to define through a single medium. I create large-scale public sculptures, installations, textiles, mixed-media works, community art projects, and experimental pieces that often combine multiple disciplines.
I am also the founder of Chapman Collective, an artist-run shared gallery space where art, climate, and culture come together to create a genuine sense of belonging. Chapman Collective was established as a welcoming environment where artists and collectors feel respected and valued, and where emerging and mid-career artists can develop their practices while presenting meaningful, high-quality work with confidence and pride.
What sets me apart is my willingness to continually learn, adapt, and take creative risks. I am the type of artist who may be welding steel for one project, sewing large-scale textile installations for another, and developing interactive public artwork for a community space the next. I don’t believe creativity should be confined to a specific material or process. Instead, I let the concept drive the work and then learn whatever skills are necessary to bring that vision to life.
Many people know my work for its bold use of color, playful forms, and ability to create joyful experiences. Whether I’m creating a permanent public sculpture or an intimate gallery installation, I am interested in how art can spark curiosity, encourage interaction, and create meaningful connections between people and place.
What I am most proud of is the growth of my public art practice. Since launching my business in 2021, I have expanded from a local artist into a national public artist with projects across the country. Equally important to me is that I have accomplished this while continuing to teach, raise my son, and remain committed to personal artistic growth. I am proud that my work continues to evolve and surprise people; including myself.
If there is one thing that defines my practice, it is curiosity. I never want to become predictable. Every new project is an opportunity to explore a new idea, material, or way of working, and that openness to experimentation continues to drive everything I create.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to trust my gut. Over the years, I’ve found that when something doesn’t feel right, whether it’s a project, partnership, opportunity, or decision, it usually isn’t the right fit. Early on, I sometimes ignored those instincts because I felt like I needed to say yes to every opportunity. Experience has taught me that listening to my intuition is just as important as doing research, planning, and seeking advice.
Trusting my gut has helped me make better decisions about the projects I take on, the people I work with, and the direction of my career. It has also given me the confidence to take risks when something feels right, even if the path forward isn’t completely clear.
As my public art practice has grown, I’ve learned that success isn’t just about saying yes, it’s also about knowing when to walk away, set boundaries, and make choices that align with my values and long-term goals. The opportunities that have had the greatest impact on my career have often been the ones where I trusted myself enough to follow my instincts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://JessLBell.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artistjbell
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/artistjbell
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/artist-jessica-bell
- Other: https://ChapmanCollectiveGallery.com
