How one artist saw the potential in a home located in one of Postindustrial America’s most hard-hit communities and transformed it into a vibrant, fun, and inspiring creative space.
Editor’s Note: Jennifer Taylor is a Gary, Indiana, artist who is the creator of “Sparkle House,” a once-abandoned home reimagined in the Postindustrial spirit as an art studio, garden, and creative work in itself that draws curious onlookers from far and wide.
In between everything, there is a moment: the moment before the water boils, before a bubble pops, before the vision is seen.
The closest I have come to “being in the moment” is during the creative process, when my mind disappears, and my hands take over to paint, build, glue, and melt things into an interplay of colors, textures, forms, and scenes.
Bullet Fish: All art by Jennifer Taylor
It is here where my inner truths are revealed, and clarities of self-conflict emerge to offer me a deeper understanding of myself and the world – in this moment – on the brink.
My paintings, which I consider to be subconscious self-portraits, reflect my background as an actor and portray colorful characters frozen in moments of anticipation or aftermath.
It is this intersection of scene and sentiment, where humor and curiosity meet, that I invite viewers to interpret and find personal meaning, much like deciphering a dream.
Lady In Veiled Hat
I was born in Paris to a French mother and an American father who served in the Navy. Though raised in northern Wisconsin, my work has been compared to Mexican art, most likely stemming from my fascination with Catholic iconography.
With a degree in Theatre Arts, I earned a living as an actor and appeared on stage in commercials, films, and TV shows, including The Edge of Night, Chicago Fire, Empire, and Dark Matter.
In 1983, while living in New York, my husband, Garry Henderson, gifted me a sketch pad and oil pastels, which sparked a burst of creativity. I became obsessed with drawing for hours on end. After moving to Los Angeles, I transitioned to painting with oil on canvas.
After our son Riley was born, we moved to Chicago in 1990 to be closer to family. In 1991, following the birth of our daughter Lily, we relocated to Riverside, Illinois, where we founded the Riverside Arts Center, which is now in its 32nd year.
Artist Jennifer Taylor installs bottles on rebar mounted in bowling balls at Sparkle House
In 2015, my husband and I moved to Gary, attracted by the beach dunes of Lake Michigan and the Miller Beach community. In 2019, I acquired an abandoned house and an adjacent lot, converting them into an art studio and garden.
After a complete renovation, the house was painted fuchsia and decorated with fragments of mirror, costume jewelry, and other shiny objects donated by friends and community members.
Exterior of artist Jennifer Taylor’s studio on the Sparkle house property
Today, the property is available to local organizations for fundraising purposes, and plans are underway to transform the house into a weekly retreat space with occasional open hours for interior tours.
The garden is open to the public and features walls made of wine bottles, a greenhouse constructed from repurposed windows, garden art sculptures, and my personal backyard art studio and gallery.
To receive open house alerts, sign up at www.sparklehouseart.com
