Kenneth Jewesson Art

Kenneth Jewesson is a painter, printmaker, ceramic artist, and jewelry maker. His works are not easily categorized. He is associated with the Pattern and Decoration movement, a movement for artists who combined design elements into their paintings and drawings, blurring the line between fine art and decoration. These artists looked to the global world for inspiration, often using decorative motifs from Islamic art, Mexican folk art, Roman mosaics, Middle Eastern textiles and more. Jewesson’s inspiration came from the architecture of Santa Barbara, referencing iron gates and architectural details of Spanish colonial architecture. He prefers bright vivid colors – a palette that represents the influence of San Antonio, Texas, where the artist lived for many years. Jewesson was born in 1939. He studied art at California State University, Northridge and later at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1969, he was appointed to the faculty of the Santa Barbara Art Center. The Brooks School separated from the school, leaving the fine art school, which renamed itself the Santa Barbara Art Institute in 1971. Jewesson eventually took the position of Institute Director, but at a time when the school was struggling financially. The Santa Barbara Art Institute closed in 1974. He then became director of the Glassell School of Art associated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Later on, he served as director of the Art Institute of San Antonio and lecturer at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He returned to Santa Barbara in his retirement.