Jessica Puma, b. 1976 is an American painter of Italian and Dutch heritage. Moving freely between abstraction and representation, her work explores the emotional resonance of the architectural form as it evolves through memory using oil paint and drawing media. Her work has been collected within the United States and France.
Jessica earned her Master of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia in 2004. She holds a degree in Studio Art and Art History from the University of Maryland at College Park. She studied abroad in Calcutta, India, 1998 and Paris, France, 2005. Her wok has been published in New American Paintings, reviewed by Libby Rosof of the artblog and The University of Pennsylvania. She has exhibited her work at Arcadia University and Swartz Gallery in Philadelphia, Rowan College, NJ and Nelson Macker Fine Art where she been represented since 2005.
Jessica has shared her love of painting and art as a Senior Adjunct Professor at Rowan College at Burlington County since 2009. She also works as a teaching artist for multiply disabled students and students on the autism spectrum.
CV
PUBLICATIONS/REVIEWS
2020 NJ PBS, “NJ TV Learning Live.” Aired April 20, 2020. https://www.njtvonline.org/programs/njtv- learning-live/one-point-perspective-jessica-melchiorre-fifth-grade-c3phez/
2013 Colin Kerrigan, Philly.com. “Open House; Bonnie and Paul in Pennsport,” http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/home_and_design/Open-House-Bonnie-and-Paul.html
2009 Liz Abrams-Morley, Necessary Turns, Word Press.
2008 Strauss, Robert. “A Unique Take on City Scapes” Chadds Ford Post, March 20-26
2007 Naomi Beckwith & Lilianna Milkova. “On Memory, Sites, Migrations and Maps” from Points of Departure: Inner and Outer Journeys in Contemporary Art, Univ. of Pennsylvania
2006 Niv, Sharon. “Art Smart,” The Qbix Gallery Fine Arts Magazine, Issue Three, Volume 1, Winter
2005 Libby Rosoff & Roberta Fallon. “Paris by Puma – Nice View,” The Artblog, August 25
2005 New American Paintings, 57th Edition, April
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2024
Life in Color, Sitar Gallery, Washington, DC
2021
Near Wild Heaven, solo exhibition, SoundPlex, NJ
2019
Heavenly Places, Votta Hall, Rowan College at Burlington County (solo)
2018
Faculty Exhibition, Rowan College at Burlington County
2015
Faculty Exhibition, Camden County College, NJ
2013
Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2011
Faculty Exhibition, Camden County College, NJ
Ballet X, Group exhibition, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2009
You don’t have to go anywhere, PII Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Teeth, Pageant Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Back on your Feet, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2008
Emerging Artists from New York to California, Nelson Macker Fine Art, New York
My Many Homes, PII Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Seven Painters, Centennial Gallery, The Haverford School, PA
2007
Projected Spaces, collaborative project with filmmaker, Ish Klein in conjunction with F.U.E.L. Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Points of Departure: Inner and Outer Journeys in Contemporary Art, Fox Gallery, University of Pennsylvania
Spirit Wind Series, Collaborative Performance with Headlong Dance Company, Philadelphia, PA
2006
Faculty Exhibition, Camden County College, NJ
US Artists Exhibition, represented by Schwarz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Caramoor Art Fair, represented by Nelson Macker Fine Art, NY
2005
Works on Paper, Arcadia University, Juror, Cornelia Butler, Chief Curator of Drawings and Prints, MoMA, NY
Drawing to Recall, Nelson Macker Fine Art, New York (solo)
Sea and Be Seen, Nelson Macker Fine Art, NY
Paintings of Paris, Afif Gallery, Philadelphia, PA (solo)
Crushed Crushes, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL
Dream Relief, Darius Gallery, Philadelphia (solo)