Eastern Connecticut State University recently installed a painting by renowned artist Suzanne Jackson in the Student Center. The painting, titled “Self-Portrait Drawing: A Future Life Story as Told by Grandparents,” is the latest installment into Eastern’s diverse permanent collection of art. 

A renowned artist born and raised in the Bay Area, Jackson studied painting and theater at San Francisco State University. In her decades-long career, Jackson has dabbled in many different artistic fields like painting, drawing, printmaking and bookmaking. She has merged the stage and costume design skills developed through her theatre education into the mixed-media techniques that now define her artistic style. 

Common mediums used by Jackson include acrylics, sheets made of different materials, graphite, oil pastels and other traditional mediums. Her painting contains most of these materials and showcases her adaptability. 

Art Gallery Coordinator Hannah Petrikovsky explained that the addition of Suzanne Jackson’s work to Eastern’s permanent collection meshes well with Eastern’s current highlight on mixed-media pieces and women artists. 

“While we look for artists who are either local or more or less well-known, it’s really valuable to us if someone gives a beautiful donation of art,” said Petrikovsky. “We are constantly looking for pieces with a strong aesthetic appeal that we can really beautify the campus with.” 

Eastern’s permanent collection is spread across campus. Petrikovsky explained that while many of the pieces are property of the University, some pieces are curated by Art Gallery staff or by third-party curators. Events that highlight diversity and specific events, such as the annual Big Read, help to narrow the selection of artwork. 

According to Petrikovsky, having the gallery and permanent collection on campus available to all departments as well as the public helps draw attention to the cultural impact that artists like Suzanne Jackson have. 

“What makes Suzanne Jackson’s piece so important is not because of today, but because it's an important stepping stone in her career.”