DALLAS – Being an artist is not an easy endeavor, but Jennifer Morgan said she always knew she wanted to be one.
Not only is she a painter who has sold more than 3,000 of her pieces, but she currently manages the Janette Kennedy Gallery within the Southside on Lamar apartment complex in Downtown Dallas. The gallery is dedicated to supporting local artists, their initiatives and promoting the art community.
“We work on an application basis, and the artists are in charge of their shows,” Morgan said. “We just provide the space, we help promote it, and do some other support roles, but they have to hang their shows, tag their shows, they handle all the sales.”
Morgan said artists are not charged a commission when displaying their work.
“It helps artists have a place to bring gallerists, photograph their work altogether, have a show on their resume,” Morgan said. “It really is a way for them to push forward their art careers and also see what’s involved in the part of selling art.”
After graduating from James Martin High School in Arlington, Morgan went on to study graphic design and marketing at the University of North Texas. She said that pairing both art and business together helped her acquire the skills of self-promotion and networking to help her sell her artwork. But success isn’t instantaneous.
“For about 18 years, I made a living solely off of selling paintings, which is a very difficult and rigorous thing to do,” Morgan said. “You start to get burned out, and I was depending on everything that I had.”
One of her best customers who had collected her art over time ended up employing her as the manager of the Janette Kennedy Gallery. And in return, she would live in the apartment complex for a reduced amount.
“It gave me a break,” Morgan said. “I didn’t have to paint constantly and worry about if I couldn’t pay my rent.”
Morgan has had her art displayed in galleries across the country and often works with designers, art collectors and enthusiasts. Some of her patrons include Neiman Marcus, which has commissioned 16 paintings, and The Omni Hotel in Dallas, which has 86 of her paintings in its permanent collection. Morgan also has her paintings displayed in other countries, such as France, Spain, Costa Rica and China.
The 49-year-old talked about how she grew up in South Arlington while it was still a rural place. But being exposed to the beauty of nature in the underdeveloped version of the city inspired her to start painting.
“I got to spend a lot of my days exploring outside,” Morgan said. “That always interested me and so did drawing and painting.”
Morgan was exposed to the vast world of creative arts at a young age. Her parents were both actively involved with art and music, and her brother is currently a drummer.
Her mother, Janey, was an artist, and she supported Morgan throughout her childhood and her career.
“She would always make sure that I had sketchbooks and markers,” Morgan said.
But it was not just her family that encouraged her to have a creative side.
“In school, all the teachers there would see my artistic talent and encourage it,” Morgan said. “They also asked me to paint murals in the buildings.”
And she continues to do so. Morgan has painted murals in north Arlington for The Boys and Girls Club to help teenagers paint over graffiti in their community. She also has murals within the Southside on Lamar apartment complex.
Morgan said it is important for aspiring and struggling artists to develop a strong support system among family and friends, and she said persistence is key.
“There’s definitely been some ups and downs of self-employment and selling my work,” Morgan said. “But it seems like that the people who come into my life, it always seems to work out.”
