Meet Dr. Jacqueline Kern | Artist & Art Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Jacqueline Kern and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Jacqueline, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance did not exist for women of my generation who wanted to pursue a career of excellence and distinction and a have family too. In my generation, parents did not raise women towards a solitary goal of career success. We chose our limited careers as place holders or time keepers until we married and started our families, and then these careers become something to fall back on later in life. Once the women’s movement hit full force, we were told that we could have it all—get our educations, manage companies, pay the mortgage, provide health insurance for the family, take our children to the pediatrician, throw children’s birthday parties that were the envy of the neighborhood, maintain our figures and femininity, and keep our husbands interested all while being told to smile and be cheerful. I distinctly remember the Enjoli women’s fragrance commercial jingle: “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never let you forget you’re a man.” So, with the feminist movement of my generation, women had multiple identities and roles to perform while men still had their careers as their sole focus and identity.

This phenomena of gender roles of the 1960s to 1980s sparked my Dollhouse Dreams Series. Dollhouse Dreams #1: Best of Luck represents the social constructs of my childhood’s generational experience of a “woman’s place is in the home” while “a man’s home is his castle” complete with his favorite armchair and chilled martini at the ready. The Race to Space frenzy was happening in the world outside while fireworks represent the exploding domestic bliss. The pearl and lipstick wearing woman with no eyes chooses not to see what is happening while the horseshoe is a wish for a story book family life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My artworks center around dollhouse and abstract natural themes. The dollhouse artworks symbolize the complexities of social dynamics, emotions, and at times, even traumatic experiences within the concept of the home. In my abstract artworks, I explore natural forms either found in the world around us or from my imagination. I express both themes in my unique visual style.

As individuals, we are all shaped by our childhood experiences. The cultural influences of the 60s, 70s, and 80s resonate deeply with me as an adult. The intense impact they had on me as a child, teenager, and young adult fuels my fascination with the gender roles prevalent during those eras. I was acutely aware of societal expectations regarding femininity and masculinity. Being constantly reminded to “act like a lady” left a lasting impression on me. As a child, I witnessed firsthand the complexities and dramas of the adult world. While the prevailing notion was that children should be seen and not heard, I looked up to and listened closely to the adults in my life, seeking cues on how to behave, dress, and communicate.

During my childhood, I often heard repeated old phrases such as “a woman’s place is in the home,” “a woman’s work is never done,” “a man’s home is his castle,” and “you catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.” These catchphrases, along with others like “behind every great man there is a great woman” and “boys will be boys,” shaped my understanding of gender roles, work ethic, and appropriate behavior within and beyond the confines of the home. These beliefs find reflection in the titles of my Dollhouse Dreams Series, such as Don’t Count Your Chickens, Best of Luck, and Good Egg, encapsulating the essence of these ingrained cultural beliefs.

While my dollhouse artworks reflect the rules of polite society, embedded cultural and gender beliefs, and childhood trauma, my abstract artworks express complete freedom from having to perform, please, and seek approval. My artistic language is inspired by living organisms reflecting their beauty and significance. I draw upon direct observations or intuitive imagery from my mind to guide my work. The forms I incorporate often evoke thoughts of fertility, seeds, pods, embryos, leaves, stones, plants, marine life, and figures like goddesses, warrioresses, angels, and mothers. These elements have become the building blocks of my artistic expression and language, akin to the letters of the alphabet. My creative process revolves around lines, forms, and colors, and the spontaneous interplay they create within the composition.

The dollhouse artworks serve as a stage for human dramas and personal baggage, filled with furniture, props, and symbolic elements. The abstract artworks serve my artistic inner child expressing pure creativity. While my dollhouse imagery may evoke nostalgia for the pop culture of the 60s, 70s, and early 80s and my abstract artworks encompass imagery from the natural and fantasy world, I believe all of these symbols themselves transcend time.

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Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in North Palm Beach, so we would hit the local scene! A visit to Studio Twelve Six for a fabulous facial with the owner Luci is a special treat! For the best wings and burgers, we would go to the original Brass Ring Pub in North Palm Beach. Our lovely beaches are close by too. We would go for a boat ride to see the breathtaking sites along the Intracoastal in Jupiter in our boat the Kernsy. We would dock at the scenic U-Tiki Beach Waterfront Restaurant where the Jupiter Lighthouse proudly stands nearby and order Crunchy Tuna Rolls and Shaka Shrimp with sides of pickles. The pickles on top of the Shaka Shrimp are a divine combination!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I was fortunate to have mentors, supervisors, professors, and advisors who taught me to believe in myself and pursue my passions for learning, creating, researching, and teaching. I currently have an amazing cohort of women friends who support one another and elevate each other.

Website: www.JackieKern.com

Instagram: @artandlearnwithdrkern

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/artandlearnwithdrkern

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artandlearnwithdrkern