Justin Michael Jenkins
| Justin Michael Jenkins | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Justin Michael Jenkins February 23, 1971 Saratoga Springs, New York |
| Nationality | United States |
| Education | West Virginia University College of Creative Arts, Morgantown, WV |
| Known for | Painting, Drawing, Sculpture |
Justin Michael Jenkins (born February 23, 1971) is an American artist. He is also an author and designer. He achieved college success in athletics for West Virginia University and became a successful artist at the university. He has worked as an artist and webmaster for Susan Polgar, former Women's World Chess Champion and Chess Olympiad Gold Medalist. He has also designed for many celebrities, most notably Brent Spiner. His well known chess collection has been published by Frederic Friedel, and has brought him world wide attention and acclaim.
Life and career
Jenkins was born in Saratoga Springs, New York to George and Carole Jenkins.
In 1979, age 8, he had his first exhibition at Dayspring Gallery in Saratoga Springs and made his first sale of an original lithograph. In 1981, he won first place in the New York State public education art show representing the 4th grade for his stained glass design piece. In 1986, under the direction of artist Robert Green, he finished in the top three at a college exhibition in Canfield Casino. In 1987, he entered the school cross country team, and in 1988 became the top runner for the New York State Champion Cross Country Team, which won both the Federation and State titles, and was ranked nationally in the top 5.
In 1989, he was accepted into the graphic design and advanced drawing programs of West Virginia University with a grant for art, and a partial scholarship for cross country running and track & field. He studied under professors Ben Freedman and Chris Hockings. He also had a one year apprenticeship with sculptor Noah Savett, working on monumental sculptures.
In late 2004, he launched his business Imaginative Pencil to sell framed art prints of his work and other products. Since the companies inception, the business has generated substantial revenue. A percentage of the proceeds go to Americans for the Arts Action fund and many other charitable organizations.
In 2005, he was approached by West Virginia Public Broadcasting to produce a logo for their statewide show, Eclectopia, which has a listening audience of over 15,000.
In 2006, Jenkins was invited by Susan Polgar (former World Chess Champion and Chess Olympiad Gold Medalist) after reading about his chess collection to be her full-time web Designer, web master, and artist. He went on to create the logo for the Susan Polgar Foundation, as well as the cover for the Mayor's Cup Super Chess Tournament — the highest rated round robin tournament in United States history.
Also in 2006 his work was seen by millions on the Coast to Coast AM radio show after being selected. His Mind Art Collection, which delves into the subconscious and dreams, was a good fit for the show. Jenkins has been a long time student of the mind and dreams.
In August 2007, Jenkins joined the growing league of celebrities who feature on popular online sites like MySpace, under the name of 'ArtistJenkins'. In only two years, he already has accumulated a fan base of over 12,000.
Featured stories and publications
- Published on the Chess Database and news site Chess Base A Recent story about the artist's chess collection is Here
- Newspaper write up in the Dominion Post about one man show, Art of the Universe: Experiments with form, color, and composition, at the Benedum Gallery at the Mon Arts Center in Morgantown, West Virginia.
- Front page article in the Dominion Post, "Making a Go of It" where Jenkins talks about his runner up placing for the International Art Expo in New York.
- Front page article in the Dominion Post Marquee section, "Jenkins Wins Award for Website and Art", about his American Association of Webmasters Gold Award for his website design, business, and art.
- Featured article about his business, Imaginative Pencil, which he helped start back in 2004, in the West Virginia BIZ magazine.
- Chess Drawing "The Transmutation of Time, Reflex, and Observation" used on the cover of the book Fisching for Forgeries by Lawrence Totaro
- Exclusive story about book Visionary Landscapes on page C6 (May 2006) of the West Virginia State Journal in the Celebrating the Arts Section.
Books
- Co-author of Visionary Landscapes ISBN 978-1-4116-7843-9. This includes his works, as well as evaluations from scholars, art historians, and curators.[1]
Notes and references
Sources
- ChessBase: Complexity and Beauty in the Game of Chess
- Marquee: Jenkins wins award for Web site
- Front Page Story / Dominion Post Artist Getting Recognition he Deserves,
- Marquee: Artist to Show, Sell New Work
- Queens Tribune: Young Artist Takes Top Prize at Flushing Artist's Exhibit
- Chess Maniac: The Visionary Chess Art of renowned artist Justin Michael Jenkin
- ArtWanted.com : A Lecture Inspired by Justin
- UFO Magazine / SCIFIPEDIA: The Three Ladies of the Cosmos
- The Transcendental Junction of a Cosmic Grotto
- Sachovy Tydenik EXPLOZE LEVITUJÍCÍHO PĚŠCE
- The Concealed Fate of an Imminent Surrender shown with signatures to be auctioned off with a minimum bid of $1,000 in 2007