Jen Schuster

Growing up, Jen Schuster moved from the south to the north and back to the south again. The moves left her with no accent, no hometown, and no easy answer when asked where she was from. But the Appalachian Mountains became her home, first slowly and then for keeps.

Her parents gave her a strong work ethic and encouraged her to get an education because, as Jen’s mother would say, “it’s the only thing no one can take from you.” Painting was always there for her as an outlet, but never spoken of as a career. So, she went to college and got a ‘real job’. These days, Jen runs a non-profit advocating for affordable housing that is both environmentally responsible and built with high standards of quality.
And painting has always been there.

Now firmly planted in the foothills with her two kids, two dogs, and one very fat cat, Jen works & she paints. Her paintings come from that old feeling of dislocation and lack of community. Growing up with no particular homeplace, she’s spent a long time reaching for roots and a sense of belonging. Her work holds that longing and the frustration of estrangement in a place where church is sometimes the only gathering in town and feeling like an outsider is something that gets quietly passed down…

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Selected Works

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