Jill Hooper Exhibit at Aiken-Rhett House Museum

Athena by Jill Hooper, oil on linen, 2024

Exclusive for The Charleston Festival’s 2024 season, artist Jill Hooper created a truly magical artistic experience marrying a range of media for a unique, site-specific visual art exhibition. Open for only one month this spring, the exhibit, Windows into Another World, was planned and created specifically for the historic Double Parlor of the Aiken-Rhett House Museum.

Windows into Another World, in Jill’s own words, was “a glimpse into a utopian setting of humans and animals/nature —birds, fawns, giraffes, butterflies, coyotes…and beyond… A mythical land portrayed with depth and playfulness.” Comprised of more than 50 original works of art, each oil painting or charcoal work on paper was thoughtfully framed and presented. A select number of works were also accompanied by original poetry by Penelope Michalik – some poems alongside the artwork, others had the poems woven into the painting or drawing itself.

Alongside the exhibition, Jill Hooper graciously hosted several tours and workshops to support fundraising efforts during The Charleston Festival. Calling on friends from across the pond, world-renowned painter Anne Witheridge joined Jill at the Aiken-Rhett House for an en plein air oil painting workshop and she taught a figure drawing workshop in the 1820s space with a live model. As a final toast and celebration to the exhibit, Jill Hooper opened the doors of her private studio and home for an intimate tour exploring works in progress and her own art collection before she travels back to London to start a new body of work.

Jill Hooper

HCF

was honored to host Jill Hooper, a world-class artist, during The Charleston Festival’s 2024 season. Jill’s work has been exhibited in France, England, and throughout the US and her artwork is permanently collected in three museums, including the Gibbes Museum of Art where she is the youngest living artist to ever be collected. Originally from North Carolina and New York, Jill’s exposure to classical realism and to the academic figurative style transformed her work and persona, and her training has led her from the deserts of Utah to the museums of Europe, drawing and painting from life and studying the Old Masters. Today, Jill divides her time between Charleston and London, where she is an artist-in-residence and portrait/figure teacher at London Fine Art Studios.

En Plein Air Workshop with Jill Hooper and Anne Witheridge

A special thank you to Penelope Michalik, Anne Witheridge, Anna Chen, and all the other team members that contributed to the exhibition, and an extra special thank you to Jill Hooper for lending her talents, imagination, and creativity for this wonderful Festival experience. In addition, she generously contributed a portion of her art sales for the continued preservation of our house museums – thank you Jill! Learn more about Jill Hooper and her artwork on her website HERE.