A native of Winter Park, Florida, Jenny first came to Spartanburg in January of this year as one of four Artists-in-Residence (AiR) at Hub-Bub.
A competitive residency known for bringing together emerging artists from across the country, Hub-Bub is recognized in Spartanburg for its dedication to connecting artists with the community at-large through art events and outreach.
As NOURISH Program Director, Jenny will manage and curate the programming happening in and around the NOURISH Center at Chapman Cultural Center, as well as other Mental Fitness community programs. Her first task will be to create revolving monthly exhibitions highlighting artists whose work reflect the mission of Mental Fitness and its focus on building resiliency in youth.
Robyn Hussa Farrell, CEO and Founder of Mental Fitness, is honored to partner with Hub-Bub to keep innovative artists like Jenny in the Spartanburg community. “From the moment I met Jenny, I understood that her artistic vision and passion for creating safe and interactive spaces was a perfect fit for our mission. Jenny’s expertise and talents will bring all of our programs to the next level and truly make NOURISH a vibrant and welcoming home for Spartanburg children and families,” Farrell said.
Valerie Barnet, a Mental Fitness board member and an integral part of the Hub-Bub AiR program said, “When Jenny and her cohorts were selected for this year’s AiR program, I knew that they would bring great ideas and energy to Spartanburg. To see that she is staying here and taking such a big role with programming and outreach is another great step for the Hub-Bub and the vibrant arts community in Spartanburg.”
Some highlights of what Spartanburg can expect to see from Bonner’s leadership in the months ahead:
• Opening Thursday, July 16th, Jenny has curated Meditative Acts, an art exhibition which will be on view at NOURISH in the Chapman Cultural Center July 16- Aug 14, 2015.
• Beginning August 6, Jenny will host Express, an ongoing series of 90-minute arts enrichment workshops to be held at NOURISH on Thursday nights for ages 16 and up.
• FLOURISH – our near-peer mentoring program and collaboration between Spartanburg Day School and the Meeting Street Academy.
• 2015 Self-Esteem Stomp – a fun 1 mile / 5k walk / run for families that builds self-esteem through community connections, positive empowerment and the interactive NOURISH finish line arts park.
For more information, visit NOURISHSpartanburg.com