Photo by Jim Horton

Jennie Traill Schaeffer holds a BFA in Painting (2000) from Syracuse University and spent a semester in Florence, Italy. She is a recent transplant to Durham by way of New Jersey; born and raised in Easton, PA. Her works have been published by the New York Times, The Village Voice, NJSavvy Living, JerseyArts.com, Women in Art 278, and JerseyIndie. Her work as an artist and community leader have been recognized by several awards, including the Hiram Gee Award from Syracuse University and one of "20 Under 40" by the NJ Herald. She is a Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Scholarship recipient and a former Gawker Artist. Works have been exhibited by The Noyes Museum, Syracuse University, Peters Valley Craft Center, Montclair Art Museum, and the Yellowstone Art Museum. Most of her solo exhibitions were held at her own studio / gallery, TraillWorks, that she ran in northern NJ. Since relocating to North Carolina, she has exhibited in group shows at the Durham Art Guild, and in Raleigh at 311 Gallery and the Pocket Gallery. She is currently a member of the Durham Art Guild and the Thrive Together Network. Her moniker "the Kitchen God's Artist" by NJ Savvy Living Magazine has not kept her work tied to the kitchen. Rooted in subject matter that venerates objects and places, her works ask the viewer to stay a bit longer, look deeper and to slow down. Vibrant paintings in watercolor and oil are layered over textured grounds of tea package image transfers and tea stains. She is informed by a developing meditative practice and exploration of her surrounding environments where she finds herself mostly at home. Chairs have been the constant thread in her work, both in kitchens and currently situated in unlikely landscapes - empty, but inviting.

​She and her husband now call Durham, NC, home, on the cusp of urban, suburban and rural life, along with their two sons, and rescue dog, Cider. 

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