Jillian Vaccaro
MFA ’21 Fine Arts Low-Residency
My art is an exploration of my long-term memory with a focus on familial relationships. Each work functions as an emotional response to my past, fabricated to depict the fragility and loss that permeates the act of recollecting. Before I begin a new work, I situate my mind in a previous time. I bring myself to this place through writing, reminiscing with loved ones, navigating through souvenirs and familial archives, and revisiting significant environments from childhood and my adult life. When I arrive in the past mentally, I respond with my materials intuitively.
The use of personal souvenirs are woven into my practice as they function as objects of remembrance and assist my recollections. I share intimate parts of my personal history so that others may feel connected through a similar sense of vulnerability, appreciation, loss, and reflection in their own life.
Jillian Vaccaro is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Boston. She earned her BFA from Emmanuel College in 2014 and completed her MFA through the low-residency program at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2021. Jillian’s work spans various media, focusing on the exploration of memories from her past. In addition to her artistic practice, she is a dedicated art teacher, instructing high school students in Boston and at Anna Maria College. She is also a member of Galatea Fine Art in the SoWa district.
