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Piece by Piece – Stories in Ceramic

(SANTA ANA, CA) – Southern California artist Beverly Jacobs creates clever wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramic sculptures. Her distinct experience as a scientist lends her artwork a disciplined expression through shapes, forms and colors which fit collectively as pieces of a larger story when displayed together. The current Community Focus Space artist at John Wayne Airport features select pieces available for viewing in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal through January 19, 2023.

Referring to the first four decades of her life, Jacobs calls herself the ultimate “left-brain”, earning a Ph.D. in physiology at Stanford, an M.A. in pharmacology at Harvard, and a B.A. in zoology at UC Berkeley. Raised on the San Francisco peninsula, she eventually moved to Irvine with her husband and two children. It was later in life that she began studying and creating art.

After early retirement from scientific work, she enrolled in a ceramics class which motivated Jacobs to continue learning more about art. Thus began a new chapter in her life, during which she nurtured and further developed the creative “right side” of her brain, expanding her horizons beyond the extensive science training that was her first career. 

“Inspiration for my artwork is drawn from my heritage, life experiences, and deep appreciation of nature,” says Jacobs. “I like to draw the viewer into the work to enjoy its beauty, study it, and come away thinking more deeply about the issues being addressed. Sometimes I just like to be playful with my artwork!”

In the time since her transition to an artist, Jacobs has exhibited her work in several Southern California based galleries and is in private collections. She has been juried into the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art and enjoys being part of its vibrant community. More information about the artist and collections of her work can be found on her website www.beverlyjacobsart.com

The exhibit is on display (pre-security) on the Departure (upper) Level near security screening areas in Terminals A, B, and C and the Arrival (lower) Level adjacent to Baggage Carousels 2 and 4. 

Visit our John Wayne Airport Arts Program page for more information.