Meet Jamie Crooke Powell | I am an artist, nonprofit founder, and writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamie Crooke Powell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamie Crooke, how does your business help the community?
I founded my nonprofit, Drawing Together, in the winter of 2020, right before the pandemic shutdown. The mission is to creatively envision a healthier future through art, which builds on 20 years of my work in the nonprofit sector, arts education, and training in art therapy. Each part of this work is based on research about different health related problems. I view health from a holistic viewpoint and I address issues such as environmental stewardship, cultural diversity, and mental health.

My current work is tackling one of the most pressing issues of our time: our current national epidemic of loneliness, as outlined by the United States Surgeon General. When I read the report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May 2023, I was shocked to learn that social isolation shortens one’s lifespan considerably and is worse for one’s health than smoking. I started to produce new creative solutions to this problem through Drawing Together and the network of artists and organizations I have built over the past decade.

In November I opened a new art space in Wrightwood, CA through my nonprofit called Community Art Center and Gallery. This space is working to counteract the larger public health issue of loneliness by offering a space where people can gather and engage in art making/viewing activities that are proven to be beneficial to one’s health. It’s also a great day trip for folks in Los Angeles. The vision for the space is unique, as there is no other art space in the greater Los Angeles area that aims to tie rural and urban communities together through workshops, artist presentations, and exhibitions.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an artist, nonprofit founder, writer, mother, and wife, just to name a few roles. I wear a lot of hats on a daily basis, and I have the immense fortune to do what I love.

I moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago to study at Otis College of Art and Design, where I earned my MFA degree with an art practice based in social practice. After graduating, I managed programs for other nonprofits for ten years, until deciding to put all of my artistic and professional experience together to build a nonprofit of my own called Drawing Together.

Drawing Together grew out of my art practice, which was examining ways in which art could contribute to a culture of health for an individual and a city. From 2017 – 2019, Drawing Together operated as an art and advocacy project. In 2020, the art project was turned into a nonprofit. The mission of the organization is to creatively envision a healthier future through art. To do this, I research different public health issues and design projects and programs to address them.
I view being an artist as a real privilege. The work I do is geared toward problem solving and reimagining other ways that we can live our lives and construct our collective world. Artists are trained to see the world differently, so we are uniquely poised to help address the massive problems facing the world today.

I’ve been creating social practice projects for over ten years, but my current project Drawing Together is one that I’ve worked on the longest and has had the greatest impact. Over the last 5 years of working on this project, I have been able to serve thousands of students, write four workbooks, employ and collaborate with over 25 artists, and complete 5 public projects in two counties.

The interesting thing about this work is that sometimes it takes time to evaluate the impact. A year after I produced my first nonprofit project and workbook addressing teen mental health through mindfulness, a participating teen reached out to me and asked if I had any more workbooks. She told me how beneficial my project had been for her, and as a result, she was starting a self-care club at her high school. She wanted to distribute the workbook I wrote, that she had previously received, to other teens, which I gladly helped her with. The depth of the work and potential impact is what drives me to create in this specific type of way.

This was not an easy path, and I questioned myself constantly. It took me several years to try to figure out where I was going and what I was ultimately trying to do with my various interests. I could have never predicted that I would be where I am today from 10 years ago, but I tried to follow my intuition in the right direction.

Time was really important along this path. It took time to pick up a lot of different skills, all of which I use regularly.
I’m not sure if it all would have worked out so well if it wasn’t for the support of my husband and children. They really cheer me on, and help me see how important this work is for future generations. Having children has given me the gift of perspective and patience.

To me, success is making an impact and leaving this world better than you found it. Every person is valuable and has a gift to tap into. As a society, we need to make sure that everyone is seen and invited to the table. From my perspective, being able to facilitate and create inclusive environments is essential to successful outcomes for the type of work that I do.

Lastly, I try to define success on my own terms. It took me a long time to realize that I didn’t need to prove anything to anyone else, but once I did realize that, it was really freeing and allowed new opportunities to grow. I want everyone to know that you can make a difference, and the best place to start is with a need that you have or see in your community. Use what you have and build slow.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I always tell people that Wrightwood is such an unknown SoCal treasure. When folks from Los Angeles head to mountain towns, they usually head for bigger mountain towns, but this little gem of 5,000 people is full of great hikes, a cute coffee shop, and of course my art center.

Wrightwood is an easy day trip, or an affordable weekend get-away. There are no big chain stores and most businesses are owned by locals.

The village is a mile up in the sky and we have four seasons here. You can experience cooler temperatures and even snow, just an hour and a half outside of Los Angeles. The village is also adjacent to the Angeles National Forest, and I always recommend a visit to the Big Pines Visitor Center Interpretive Site.

My favorite part about Wrightwood is the nature. There is clean, sweet smelling air. There are large pine trees everywhere creating a visual sea of green. It’s also really quiet up here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My success and work is built on those that came before me. I am lucky to have studied with generous, and nontraditional artists. This work would not be possible without the feminist and women artists that came before me who redefined what art could be and who could make it.

In addition to my nonprofit and professional work, I am a mother and wife. My family is a huge inspiration for the work I do. They are also my biggest supporters and cheer me on regularly.

Website: https://www.JamieCrooke.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drawingtogether.city/

Other: https://www.DrawingTogether.city

Image Credits
Photographs taken by myself or photographer Nicolette Jackson-Pownall