JENN EVANS
Jenn Evans, the artist behind Half Seven Projects, is a painter, illustrator, designer, and all-around maker. She loves to experiment with different techniques and materials, but she has always come back to gouache for the past ten years. Heavily inspired by alternative music and the paranormal, these two areas inform her work the most. When she’s not creating in her space at Joy Street Studios in Somerville, she can be found yelling along to music in the middle of a concert crowd, exploring various parts of Boston and nearby towns or indulging in paranormal podcasts and books.
Pick up this print at PAVEMENT COFFEEHOUSE
ARTIST Q&A
Born: Lawrence, MA
Currently lives: Brookline, MA
Title of artwork: Great Scott 1976-2020
What’s it about? Great Scott spent over 40 years as a staple in the Boston music scene, and after the chaos surrounding the end of their lease at the start of the pandemic, I was inclined to make a new piece based on a poster I had painted for my friends’ band back in 2015. The original piece was one that really grounded me in the artistic path I am on now (I’ll never forget the excitement of seeing hundreds of copies of the poster pasted all over the city, thanks to the bands’ DIY approach to marketing). This piece remains one of my favorite recent paintings, and it was so cool to read the flood of stories that came in once I posted it online. The very name of the venue sparks so many memories – from watching my friends sing along when Jack Romanov opened for the Lonely Biscuits, to The Mowgli’s playing a pop-up benefit show for the One Fund on the anniversary of the Marathon Bombings, to hearing about some of the very last shows that happened in the city before Boston went into quarantine. While I’m hoping Great Scott will continue in some capacity, the Comm Ave location will forever remain a part of Boston music history.
Where else can we find your work? On instagram, or my website, or ridiculousness on twitter. I also co-host a podcast called “Let’s Talk Records” where we… talk records!
What would your last meal be? Chicken Parm with fresh fettuccini pasta. I would make it myself- jar sauce is against my religion, so I like to make my own from scratch (it’s so easy!)
If it was your turn to host book club, which title would you choose? We’re reading “The Mothman Prophecies” by John Keel and we’re going to talk about cryptids and UFO flaps, and the weirdest thing that every happened to you. And then we’re going to watch the “Hellier” documentary series after.
Go-to karaoke song? “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer but actually the New Found Glory cover version
Favorite place in Allston/Brighton for takeout?
Roxy’s Grilled Cheese forever and always <3
What have you learned about your creative practice over the last year? Fear and hesitation drive nothing. Especially in this last year, it was a real challenge to accept that my plans were not on hold- they were instead just shifted. You can’t stop, you can’t give up. Make noise (especially when other people aren’t) and eventually someone will hear you. Great and fulfilling work can exist even in the weirdest, hardest times.
A piece of advice you would give to your pre-pandemic self? Keep painting and making things, even when you feel crazy and it seems like none of it matters. You will be building the structural foundation to everything that will unfold when things start to get a little better. Don’t let hopelessness win. Keep the excitement any way you can. Also… grabbing last minute tickets to that Four Year Strong show on March 3, 2020 is completely and fully necessary.
