JOSEPHINE ANNE RIGGERT
EDUCATION
After graduating high school early, I moved across the country at 17 to pursue college in Florida. I attended Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Florida. If you haven't heard of Flagler, it is a beautiful private liberal arts school. The school was originally built as a luxury hotel by Henry Flagler (where the name originates) in 1888. Surrounded by history and beauty, I was constantly inspired. I completed a degree in Graphic Design with a minor in Fine Arts. During my time at Flagler I participated in organizations such as Strike Magazine and created an exhibit, Mein. My time at Flagler college helped me grow not only as an artist, but as a person as well.
EXHIBITIONS
In the winter of 2021/22, I co-created an exhibit, Mein, with Anna Jones. Together we explored our struggles with what it meant to be an artist, accepting the loss of girlhood, and the idea of self. You can check it out in my portfolio.
WHO IS SHE ACTUALLY?
I grew up on my family's dairy farm on the Oregon coast. I was always surrounded by hardworking, creative people who helped foster those traits in me. As a young girl I spent time in my grandmother's tearoom where I helped decorate desserts and wrapped presents in their signature style. I was involved in anything and everything from sewing club to ballet to 4H where I showed horses. As time went on I continued to explore other areas of artistic expression. I received my first DSLR camera at the age of 12 and quickly became obsessed. My passion for creativity grew arguably the most through my most difficult times. In middle school I moved to Portland and began many forms of art therapy, mainly guided. I can vividly recall saying how I loved painting but I just wasn't good enough at it to do it often. Luckily I was told that I could make things simply for the sake of making them, I didn't need to be the best. Moving forward that is exactly what I did, I continued to make things just to make them.
At 17 I packed my bags and moved across the country alone. I didn't know anyone in Florida and had only been to Saint Augustine a couple of times before. When I started school I was a political science major and law minor. In my second semester of school I signed up for photography and drawing I for general education requirements. I fell in love with my art courses and as the world began to shut down (spring 2020), I realized life was too short to not do what I love and declared myself a graphic design major. There were many challenges, as there were for everyone, from 2020-2021. When life returned to normal and school was back in person (starting fall 2021), I began to feel full of creativity and passion again. I was constantly inspired by the historic town of Saint Augustine and in my many collaborations with my creative partner, Anna. During my time in Florida I explored nearly all forms of creative expression: film, photography, special effects makeup, sewing, knitting, sculpture, graphic design, all kinds of painting, drawing, poetry, the list goes on and on. For anyone taking the time to read this, I am aware as a creative we need to "pick a lane" but there is so much joy in learning something new I am not sure I will ever be able to do that.
Now I am here, well, kind of. I live in Hoboken, New Jersey, which is right outside of New York City (closer than Brooklyn for all you New Yorkers that hate on Jersey). I love the city, cliche, I know. There is creativity everywhere, on the streets, in the museums, in stores, it is impossible to not be inspired! The city is full of opportunities which is amazing and intimidating. I cannot wait to see where it takes me.