JADE - May 2025
For the month of May, we would like to turn the spotlight over to New Orleans native Jade Meyers, otherwise known as TheArtistJade (@theartistjade). Jade is a multidisciplinary artist that has background in visual art, singing, dance, and creative directing. When it comes to specifically visual art, she does sculptures murals, paintings, and print making. Growing up Jade is always been exposed to art. She says that as a toddler, she would always draw and do sketches. She specifically recalls one time when her mother who was amazed at a drawing she made of a woman sitting on a table. She was so s surprised as to how she knew how to sit like that at such an early age. Once her parents saw the way she embraced being creative so easily they always supported her drive and continue to push her towards it.
She attended John Dibert elementary school, which was a very diverse art school. Her art teacher would introduce them to artists that would be covered at college levels. Having an art teacher that was truly an artist really resonated with her because not many children now have that opportunity. She would go and find pieces in her neighborhood that were thrown out and bring them to school to show the rest of the children and you would never know that it was trash. Jade really creditS this early exposure to her process now. Before graduating Southern University she created her art based company Jade 1991 (@thejade1991). Her mission statement summed up in her words is “let’s innovate together”. She has the expertise to take someone’s vision and make it come to life whether it be just an idea or more fully developed plan. Jade is inspired by everything. She says that she looks at the world differently than most people. While some people may look at a regular can on the ground, she may see something completely different. “That is a reflection of how artists see the world.” One specific moment that Jade holds dear to her as an artist was when she took first place in an art show as a senior in college. For the show, she made multiple pieces, but it was the sculpture that won. This sculpture actually broke in the process of her, making it so she had to take other elements to create an African inspired mixed media head piece. One element was a piece of cloth that her professor got from Africa. She participated in this art show ever since her freshman year and never placed so not only placing, but being first was something truly special to her. “After getting so many no’s you finally get a yes.”
Jade has collaborated with many know brands such as Chevrolet, Essence, AT&T, Adult Swim, and the W.K Kelloog Foundation to name a few. The only museum she has had her work in as a now is the New Orleans African American Art Museum. This means a lot to her because she can say to first museum that purchased her work and wanted to have it in their space was her own kind. A lot of that is purposeful because she doesn’t enter shows in the city. She wants to create her own exhibits. Her first solo exhibit was at the Axiom Museum. She is open to doing more, but “the activist in me resists certain things” in her words. Jade wants to make sure that everything she is involved in is intentional and represents her vision and what she stands for. Looking forward, Jade always has ideas of what she want for the future. She would like to have her own studio and to continue to help artists by allowing them to showcase their work on a professional level. She also wants to help teach more artists about to business aspect of it and making sure that there is more to it than just being creative. If you would like to find out more about Jade’s work or are interested in her services you can check out her instagrams as well and as her website jade1991.com.
“Find the strength to be re inspired , and it’s no problem in reinventing yourself.” -JADE
