ATHENS, Ohio — Jessica Held, artist, teacher and member of the Ohio Arts Council Teaching Artist Roster in Athens, sat down with the Athens County Independent to discuss three art initiatives she is leading across Southeast Ohio.
Originally from Cincinnati, Held went to Ohio University, where she earned a bachelor of fine arts in painting and photography.
After she graduated, she began doing after-school art enrichment classes in multiple states, including Ohio, Texas, Michigan, and Indiana.
In 2010, when her husband became a professor at Ohio University, her family returned to Athens. Since then, she has been active in the Athens art community.
Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Her debut exhibition was in Prague, during a study abroad trip, according to her Ohio Arts Council page.
Held focuses on abstract art.
Shealso owns Flux and Function LLC, a small business where she sells functional art. She also serves as the community marketplace coordinator for the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in Albany.
Last year, Held coordinated an art exhibition at the Dairy Barn Arts Center, featuring work by local teenagers.
Held teaches an after-school art enrichment program once a week through Kids on Campus, an Ohio University initiative that offers after-school and summer programs for rural, at-risk children and their families.
Held believes this kind of arts education is crucial in areas like Southeast Ohio.
“I feel like art is important for the creative, for the expressive, for the individuals,” she said. “In the rural schools, there’s just not that many opportunities and not all of them have art, so I feel like it’s very important.”
Held teaches art through Kids on Campus at Nelsonville-York Elementary, Federal Hocking High School, Millcreek Elementary in the Southern Local School District, in Perry County, and Eastern Local High School in the Eastern Local School District, in Meigs County.
This year’s projects include scratching tiles, bobblehead clay sculptures and more.
“I really try to make projects that are hands-on, that are new to them,” she said. “I feel like I’m trying to gauge their interest and have it be enjoyable for after school.”
The children’s artwork is often displayed in local libraries. Nelsonville-York Elementary students’ artwork is on display at the Nelsonville Public Library this month, and Federal Hocking High School students’ artwork will be displayed at the Coolville Public Library in April 2026.
Students in the Kids on Campus program at Federal Hocking middle and high schools, as well as from Held’s classes for ages 10–18 at the Dairy Barn, also will showcase their creativity in the Athens County Public Libraries’ Stories in the Park Trail.
The project is part of the libraries’ Storybook Trails program, which dot area parks and trails with a rotating selection of picture books and interactive prompts.
Participants will create artworks and written work about Ohio, which will be installed at the Richland Avenue park in Athens in spring 2026. The displays will be up for about six months.
“This is for a park, so it’s family-friendly for all ages with some interactivity,” Held said. “This should be an interesting group because it’ll be a diverse group of local teens. I’m excited for this.”
Programs for seniors
In January and February 2026, Held will lead two eight-week Creative Aging programs for adults ages 55 and older at the Nelsonville and Coolville branches of the Athens County Public Libraries. The program is free and requires no previous art experience. Participants’ work will be displayed at their respective libraries in late February.
The program is funded by an Ohio Arts Council ArtsRISE grant.
Held will draw on her experience with abstract art for the class projects, including cyanotype photograms, sumingashi monoprints and a wet-on-wet watercolor technique.
“Older adults don’t have as many socialization opportunities, so I feel like this is a combination of creating and socializing,” Held said. “Hopefully, that’ll bring more of a community.”
Becca Lachman, ACPL’s communications officer, echoed that idea.
“We’re only beginning to understand the importance of face-to-face connections and in-person friendships on our overall physical and mental health,” Lachman wrote in an email. “During some of the dreariest months here in Ohio, the series will offer county residents ages 55-plus the chance to learn new skills and make something beautiful and meaningful together.”
Registration for the Creative Aging program is required and opens Dec. 1. Individuals interested can sign up on the library’s online events calendar or in person at an ACPL branch.
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