Hey, y’all!
My name is Jenna Kriegel (pronounced Kree-gull). I’m an artist, educator, hiker, yogi, dancer, dog-mom, and the newest member of CAH’s Public Art Team. Texas-born and raised in sub-rural Oklahoma, my creative practice is grounded in using traditional handcraft, green materials, and natural spaces to elevate marginalized voices and contemporary stories.
I’m super passionate about Creative Community Service: the potential for art to span the gaps where conventional language falls short, creating connections and making life just a little brighter. With that in mind, I enrolled at the University of Oklahoma intending to study Art Therapy. Four years and several left turns later, I graduated with a BFA in Studio Art-Sculpture with a minor in Art History. I then went on to earn a MFA in Studio Art-Sculpture with a Graduate Certificate of Women’s Studies from the University of Georgia. My work has granted me the opportunity to travel throughout the US and Europe to teach, exhibit, speak, and attend residencies. While I loved every minute of it, volunteering and creative programming in my local community is what has always filled my spirit.
So I decided it was time to change courses and “pass the mic.” I joined CAH in September 2023 with one main goal: GET ARTISTS PAID!!! As a Public Art Coordinator, my role focuses on special projects. When local artists, young in life or young in careers, set out on the public art path, there’s a ton of boring government business that has to occur. My role is to keep the controlled chaos moving forward by developing creative solutions, exploring technological strategies, and tapping into the many different flavors of genius on my team. I love the idea that I can positively impact the path of art on a local, national, and global level by enabling artists to do what comes naturally. Tell me all about wacky half-finished ideas, and I’ll do my best to connect you with the people and programs that can bring them to life!