Jane Malone graduated during the Covid era and continues to make art. Her efforts were rewarded through the Artist Resilience Program.
Salem graphic artist Jane Malone poses with her artwork (Courtesy/Jane Malone)
Salem artist Jane Malone was scrolling through Facebook one day when she liked a post-Oregon artist who got through the pandemic had a chance to win money.
“We’ve been gathering for a long time and I just saw the post,” Malone said. “I thought, yes I’m an actor and I’m strong so I threw away my hat.”
It bore fruit.
Malone was named this week as one of 485 artists statewide to win a recovery grant of between $ 1,000 and $ 5,000. Malone took home $ 1,200 of the $ 2.75 million distributed.
“By reaching out to Oregon artists, we know that we not only support these individuals financially, but also enable them to pursue their creative careers and stimulate Oregon’s cultural environments, “said Brian Rogers, executive director of the Oregon Arts Commission in a prepared statement.
The commission has partnered with the Oregon Community Foundation and the Marion L. Miller Foundation to offer grants to artists to experience financial hardship during a pandemic due to loss of income or opportunity to benefit financially from their art.
For Malone, the pandemic hit hard.
A freelance graphic artist, Malone saw opportunities quickly dry up as Covid’s cases went through the state bringing regulations for crowds and events.
“I was in the event promotion and then Covid hit and it was an absolute dance to stay afloat,” he said.
The $ 1,200, Malone said, will go back to his art, which he describes as modern with a bit of a tattoo feel.
“I have thick outlines in a lot of them and I’m just soaked in color,” Malone said.
Artist Jane Malone’s favorite piece of work hangs on her bed at her Salem home (Courtesy/Jane Malone)
Her favorite piece? A pair of sugar skull brides standing in front of the stained glass window hanging over her bed.
“I can’t see very well, my vision is really close,” Malone said. “When I removed my mirror and looked, there was no outline. It’s like when the rain covers the window and all you see are the lights from the city. ”
And the city of Salem was a big part of his inspiration. After growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Malone moved to the Pacific Northwest about 10 years ago with his two children — a son, 11, and a daughter, 23, —and his partner, Roger.
“From the desert, the Pacific Northwest looks like utopia,” he said. “It’s just nice. Even the air seems to have life here. It’s crazy that people grew up here and it’s like, you’re a paradise but for them it’s only Tuesday. ”
Malone’s art reflects what he sees in Salem but it can also be seen around Salem. He has a 30×40 inch mural hanging in the Infinity Room downtown and is set to have a Halloween installation there in 2023. He also has a booth at the Saturday market.
“We’re the big purple tent and I might be the slope of the Saturday market because I have pin-up stickers,” Malone said. “There’s a certain amount of tongue on the cheek in my art.”
This includes quarantine badges he made, which are also available in his large purple tent, for things like not storing toilet paper and avoiding “hooking up.”
According to the Oregon Arts Commission, Malone was not the only artist influenced and affected by the pandemic.
A total of 600 eligible applicants for grants reported $ 9.1 million in revenue losses during the pandemic.
“In times of crisis, artists help us make sense of our world and stay connected to one another,” Martha Richards, executive director of the Miller Foundation said in a prepared statement.
For Malone, he stays connected to his art that includes screen printing – a callback to how he started as his grandfather’s photo finisher – painting, graphic design, and stickers.
“I dabble in everything, it’s just general nonsense,” Malone said. “I haven’t won anything, so it’s exciting.”
Other Salem artist winners include Nathan Helgeson (music), Tracie Hodgson (visual arts), Graham Middleton (music), Greg Moreland (theater) and Denise Steele (multidisciplinary). Their grants range from $ 1,000- $ 5,000.
Contact reporter Caitlyn May at [email protected].
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