In the Flow

Jean Stryker’s path to painting has been anything but a straight line. After studying philosophy and art history at Vanderbilt University, she moved to Boston to work at a mutual-fund company. When Stryker grew tired of the corporate world, she pursued a graduate degree in health science from Duke University and became a physician assistant. But after many years in the medical profession, chronic sleep deprivation and burnout left her “happily unemployed.” It was then that she leaned into art, becoming the new owner of BlackBird Frame & Art on Merrimon Avenue in 2022. “I have had multiple careers, and so it feels like I have lived multiple lives,” Stryker shares in a press statement. “Now I’m living my favorite one. I work with the most awesome people, have my own little art studio upstairs at the shop, and am running a fun and successful business. In the story of my existence, I’m writing the best chapter yet.” As part of this chapter, Stryker will present her first-ever solo show in September. Titled In the Flow, the exhibition will feature the “misty landscapes and mystical abstracts created by [my] subconscious.” Gallery-goers can expect dreamy scenes of glowing skies, snowy fields, and lush mountains.