51����

In a warmly lit studio on the third floor of the Hermann Fine Arts Center, concepts come to life and creativity takes shape, often under the advice of Professor Jolene Powell, a guiding force behind 51����’s creative spirit.

As a McCoy Professor of Art and director of Gallery 310, Powell has spent more than two decades shaping the minds and techniques of artistic Pioneers. Whether guiding a student through their first oil painting in Painting 1 or mentoring seniors through their Capstone projects, her commitment to her craft and her students is undeniable.

An alumna of Boston University, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts, Powell encourages her students to approach art with curiosity and resilience, hoping young artists feel motivated to try new things. 

“Even if a piece doesn’t end up the way they expected, I want students to unpack the process so they’re not afraid to try, fail, and experiment,” Powell said. 

She hopes her students’ greatest takeaways from her classes are an appreciation of and an understanding of art, even if they do not continue to practice, as well as a sense of play and experimentation. 

“I’m honest with them when I’m stuck or rejected from opportunities such as grants, projects or exhibits. I want them to understand resilience,” she explained. “If you’re always challenging yourself to try new things and to grow, you will inevitably fail or be rejected at something, and that’s just the process. It’s a journey.” 

Two influences that impact her creative process are drawing and chance. Powell embraces chance, often incorporating printmaking techniques in her painting by using a brayer or a roller and paper to obscure the paint. “I don't know what result I'm going to get until I pull up the paper, and I like that chance. It's an aspect of releasing control,” Powell said.

Her students impact her creative process as well. Powell credits conversations with her students for often sparking fresh ideas and perspectives, which inspire both her own creative work and her teaching approach.

Powell’s reach stretches far beyond campus. A dedicated and widely exhibited artist, her work is showcased this summer across the country, including galleries in New York City and Chicago, Illinois. In November, her work will be featured in a group exhibition at the Chase Young Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts, followed by a two-person exhibition at Brandt Gallery in Columbus, Ohio in January 2026.

Her paintings range from representational to abstract, many of which depict landscapes directly affected by climate change. She draws inspiration from dramatic skies, rocky coasts and textured terrain, elements shaped by her West Virginia roots and experiences painting in Maine, at an artist residency in Iceland and most recently at the Grand Marais Art Colony on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota.

“I’ve been painting landscapes for 25 years. My work is about everything and nothing all at once,” Powell said. “The symbology and spirituality of the moon and its connection to the landscapes are important to my work. I’m also drawn to texture, the cracks, crevices and physicality of a surface.”

Powell’s work is being showcased this summer at the Parkersburg Art Center’s PAC Regional 2025 exhibition, beginning in mid-July until August 22 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, a venue that holds personal significance. 

“I’ve always had a long connection with and fondness for PAC,” Powell said, reflecting on her sister, Jamie Powell, an ‘01 alumna of 51����. Jamie was also an art major; her first job was Education Curator at the Parkersburg Art Center. 

Alongside exhibiting her work, Powell recently served as one of three jurors for “The Women of Appalachia Project Art Exhibition” at the Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio. She also served as the juror for the Ohio Art League’s “Spring Juried Exhibition” at the Works Center for History, Art and Technology in Newark, Ohio. 

Powell’s preferred medium to work with is oil paint because of its true, saturated color, but she now works with acrylic, a shift that began during her time in Iceland. “If you learn to paint with oil, you can paint with anything else,” she noted.

Despite national recognition and a busy exhibition calendar, Powell chooses to remain rooted at 51����. “I have very much chosen to be here,” she said. “The college offers the right balance of teaching, curating for Gallery 310, and time for my own creative work.”

For Powell, success isn’t defined by accolades but by purpose and persistence. “Success as an artist is that you trust yourself and keep going, getting through the creative highs and lows, and having a studio that still inspires, feeds and centers you.”

Visit Jolene Powell’s current exhibition at the Parkersburg Art Center, 725 Market St., Parkersburg, WV, on view until August 22.

Upcoming exhibitions:

• Group Exhibition at Chase Young Gallery, Boston, MA, November 2025
• Two-Person Exhibition at Brandt Gallery, Columbus, OH,  January 2026

To learn more about Jolene and her artistry, please visit her .