Meet Midtown Visual Arts Instructor: Jessica Harms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Harms.

Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My dream as a child was becoming an artist, and I have been very fortunate to make my childhood dream a reality. I began as a self-taught painter, teaching visual arts classes at a non-profit performing arts center while I finished my bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia. After graduation, I accepted a job as an art teacher at a private school in the Atlanta area, and it was an experience that changed my life. I was able to teach hundreds of children to love art as much as I do, introducing them to contemporary artists while guiding them to appreciate the beauty in the world. The department grew before my eyes! I was able to see my students grow organically through creativity and visual expression, and it was my students who inspired me to go back to school. I will be finishing my master’s degree in Art Education at the University of Georgia this spring, and hopefully, I will be able to inspire new groups of students in the future. I have always said that true artists change they way others experience the world, and I truly believe my art form is changing the way others appreciate the beauty in life through art education.

Has it been a smooth road?
I have had to overcome some big obstacles along the way, and it has made me appreciate my career so much more. It was almost as if life was asking me “how much do you want this?” I have had to work very hard to be able to do what I love, and it is something I am proud of and I wouldn’t change for the world.

Who, or what, deserves a lot of credit for where you are today?
I had an assistant, Betsy Wagner, who reminded me of how special it was to teach children how to think creatively. She told me all the time how my art room was a magical place where kids felt safe to be themselves and create things that were different and unexpected. She came to work every single day excited just to be in my room. She told me how so much of that was missing in the world and how remarkable it was that we were able to work in a creative, inspiring space every single day. We were able to introduce children to artists who saw the world differently and how valuable it was for them to see art and the people who created it as brave and courageous. I had lost sight of how truly special it was, and Betsy was a daily reminder of the joy and wonder in what we did. She helped me see the importance of what I do and that making a career around inspiring kids should be something to be proud of.

What type of clients or projects do you look forward to most?
I just want to educate as many people as I can about the beauty in the world. I don’t have a set idea of what this looks like, but I do know that if I can help at least one person see the value of art in their lives I have done what I came to do. Success, to me, is not how much money you make but whether you are able to make an impact larger than yourself. Maybe working with adults or in the college-level would be my next step.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t think I would change anything because every small experience and little decision have led me exactly to where I am in this exact moment. Even the difficult obstacles and mistakes I have made along the way have made a better person, artist, and educator. The fact that I have ended up as an adult who gets to live out their childhood aspirations on a daily basis is nothing short of amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jharmsstudio.carbonmade.com/
• Email: jharmsstudio@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess0801
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jharmsstudio
• Other: https://youtu.be/wvq2wwyh0zM https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacharms