Jacksonville Art Show showcasing central Illinois POC by Boston Native Pierre Jacques

Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. I'm your co-host, Jeff Williams. And actually, I'm not in the studio. I'm out in the field. I'm in a studio. Pierre Jacques. Pierre, how's it going?
Pierre Jacques:
Good.
Jeff Williams:
Why don't you tell us a little bit? I'm in a photography studio, basically, in Jacksonville, Illinois, on the second floor of an old row house type building, old brick walls, cool setup. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Pierre Jacques:
Okay, well, my name is Pierre. I'm from Boston, Massachusetts. I came here to play soccer. I went to McMurray. Right across the street from the studio.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. That's cool. I didn't realize that you came here to play soccer. That's right on. Very cool.
Pierre Jacques:
I have two children. I'm A photographer, artist. But I would say photography is my medium right now.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. So, when did you first start playing soccer?
Pierre Jacques:
I actually, didn't start (playing soccer) until maybe my sophomore year in high school.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, really?
Pierre Jacques:
Seriously.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah.
Pierre Jacques:
I kicked our ball around but not actually focused on learning the game and learning just how to play with a team.
Jeff Williams:
Right, so what position… where do you play on the field, on the pitch?
Pierre Jacques:
Left mid.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, yeah. I like to play mid A lot. I play defense A lot. sometimes that would get me in trouble because then when I switched to mid, I've always wanted to fall back on defense fast because I was so used to playing that originally, then I wouldn't push up as much as I probably should have. So, the decision to come here… to the Midwest, was that kind of a big decision, leaving the Boston area, the New England area?
Pierre Jacques:
Yeah. Which at the time, it didn't feel like it when I was a kid. I mean, for me, I was just ready to see something new. I'm always like that. But my mom was originally from the Midwest.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, okay.
Pierre Jacques:
So, it was more so of coming back to something, going somewhere new. Come here for the summer.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, so you'd been to the Midwest before that and stuff some, right on.
Pierre Jacques:
The change?
Jeff Williams:
Yes. It's a different pace, for sure. Yeah. No doubt. I remember, well, we used to play out in Boston some, not too often, a place called the Rathskeller. That was way, way back though. So, I was kind of familiar with the Boston area. So, then you were here and you were, like when you got here, were you already into photography?
Pierre Jacques:
No, not seriously. I mean, I would take pictures with my phone, stuff like that. And I've always been big into technology. And I grew up around cameras, like my mom, would have a little power shot or my dad recorded like the first five years of my life.
Jeff Williams:
Wow, okay, yeah.
Pierre Jacques:
No, it was something that wasn't at the forefront, but I always had a knowledge of it. 2022 is when I really started.
Jeff Williams:
Started to delve into it more. So, and that was through like the university then.
Pierre Jacques:
No.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, really? Was it outside of it? Okay.
Pierre Jacques:
Yeah, I just decided, I actually was on my way home from Boston on a road trip with my family. And we're sitting in the car; I'm going to buy a camera.
Jeff Williams:
Nice, okay.
Pierre Jacques:
I was texting my cousin, I was like, I got this idea, like I'm going to buy a camera. Do it. I was like, okay.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, this is a cool space that you have here. How did you go about finding this space?
Pierre Jacques:
I kind of just fell into it. I was working at Proud Richards.
Jeff Williams:
Oh yeah, Proud Richards, yep.
Pierre Jacques:
So I was bartending and I knew One of the customers that came in, her name's Jess Lynn. She actually has a couple businesses in Jacksonville, Green Haven, Peachiness, and she does crochet.
Jeff Williams:
I know that name's familiar to me. Does she do photography also or not? No, not to, okay, maybe I'm thinking of a different Jess Lynn.
Pierre Jacques:
Well-rounded artist around here. So, I ran into her and I knew her from back when I first came here. My then girlfriend was working at Buffalo Wild Wings. She was the manager there. So, I would see her in passing, and I would hang out there sometimes. I started that relationship there. And yeah, I was doing my photography thing, bartending at Proud Richard's. She came in, I was speaking about it, telling her I'm looking for an art space. And she said, hey, I have this area above my store. Would you like to check it out?
Jeff Williams:
Right on. That's very cool. Yeah, it's a great space. And you have, right now you're on the 2nd floor here. Well, then also, you're going to be having a, like an art show coming up here pretty soon, right?
Pierre Jacques:
Yes. Okay. So, the title is Nickel and a Dream.
Jeff Williams:
Nickel and a Dream.
Pierre Jacques:
Nickel and a Dream. And it's May 1st and 2nd, Friday and Saturday from 4 to 8. And On Saturday, 12 to 6. 228 South Mauvaisterre Street, Jacksonville, Illinois.
Jeff Williams:
Mauvaisterre Street.
Pierre Jacques:
Right above the Peachy Nest. Yes.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah. What's crazy is I drive past here a lot and I've never, I've never looked at the name of the street. So, when you sent me that, it kind of threw me off. But then I was like, oh, okay. I totally know the street. I know the exact, like the location. I never really looked at the sign. You're like less than a one-minute walk from like Pizza Records and like right on the square and stuff too, right? They are close to the downtown… close to Leo's Pizza also. This is in case anybody, if you're coming to the show, you can look for landmarks… if you're by Leo's Pizza, if you are by Pizza Records, you're close. Just find a place to park and you'll be close to the location. I have some artwork in the show. Tell us a little bit about some of the artists who are in the show.
Pierre Jacques:
So, we have Zach Adams of Springfield.
Jeff Williams:
Yep, Zach Adams, Springfield photographer, mostly, yep.
Pierre Jacques:
And then we have Julia Ross.
Jeff Williams:
Right on.
Pierre Jacques:
And Julia is the creator of Smash and Jazz. She's done a few events there in Springfield.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Pierre Jacques:
Really good stuff. She's a photographer, makeup artist, and lots of other things that she does.
Jeff Williams:
Photography is what she has here then.
Pierre Jacques:
Yes, photography is what she has in here (for the show) today.
Jeff Williams:
And you, yeah, so tell us a little bit about your stuff.
Pierre Jacques:
Most of the pictures are of my travels. A few things that I've done here in the studio is just of my travels.
Jeff Williams:
We're going to try this quickly. I'm going to try to walk around with this thing and try not to touch it too much to make it super loud. But we'll kind of walk and then maybe you can tell us about some of these pieces right here. So, what I'm looking at right now is a piece a piece of photography. It looks to me as if it was near an ocean or a sea. It's got a lot of like orange colors in the piece. It has super strong shadows. You see part of the sky, just a little tiny hint of what, like I said, appears to be ocean or sea. It could be a lake but looks like most likely ocean or sea. Lots of strong shadows and very orange. My first guess would be Miami area. Okay, I've done enough trying to describe it. Tell me a little bit about this.
Pierre Jacques:
Is actually in Waikiki, Hawaii.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, okay, right on!
Pierre Jacques:
That's our room at the Sheraton Hotel, looking right out onto the beach, which is interesting enough, they actually didn't have a beach there. All the water is eroding the side of it. So, they had to bring sand from California. to build a boardwalk.
Jeff Williams:
That's crazy, man.
Pierre Jacques:
But yeah, this was a good trip. Someone asked me about this last time, and not this particular piece, but they asked me, what is your favorite? And this is the one of two sets that I brought them.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, really?
Pierre Jacques:
Yeah, there's another one over here.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, okay, let's go and check this other one out. Then we're walking. Oh, yeah, It's a.
Pierre Jacques:
Little bit fuller frame of the balcony. She's got the chair in it. More harsh shadows, yellow, deep, rich saturation.
Jeff Williams:
Look, let's walk to another one here. We are going to walk towards... Yeah, tell us about these. are some figures of some people here. Who are, do you know who these people are then?
Pierre Jacques:
I can't remember his name, but he was actually just on a segment with Jalia. She's also a creator of Black Men Deserve Flowers.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Pierre Jacques:
You can find that on Instagram.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, so basically what we're looking at in one of the shots appears to be a barber. and he's doing a person's hair. The other person has short, cropped hair, dyed, bleached out somewhat. So, they have a shot where they're standing together and another one where basically she's getting her fade trimmed up, it looks like to me. So yeah. So where was this located at?
Pierre Jacques:
I'm not too sure where it was located, but the title is Barber Bay. So, it's a nice representation of black love.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, right on, right.
Pierre Jacques:
Taking care of each other.
Jeff Williams:
And so once again, who did this piece then?
Pierre Jacques:
Julia.
Jeff Williams:
Julia is who did this piece, right on. I'm going to let you take us to the next piece that we'll describe really quicky. We're walking around on the floors. There's a cool old radio like It looks like Victrola era, Victrola era type thing. Okay, what else are we looking at here? Chicago. Oh, yeah, that's Chicago.
Pierre Jacques:
It's funny because...
Jeff Williams:
And that's when you took it.
Pierre Jacques:
That is when I took, yes. I always see that building and just think of Transformers. Oh, yeah, Put it with that gold hue to it really changes the scenery. It makes it Cinematic.
Jeff Williams:
Right. Is that the Rigley building or the old Chicago Tribune building? I don't know what building that is. I know it's next to another building.
Pierre Jacques:
It is.
Jeff Williams:
I'm not going to, it's just barely, you see one letter and it's that one, but the L's coming by. That's a good shot. Lots of good golds in that one. It looks like over here we've got a Zach Adams. Does he have A few pieces in here or just.
Pierre Jacques:
So, he actually, which it's not named this in this show, but I remember seeing him post about it and calling himself Zack-asso.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, okay.
Pierre Jacques:
So, it's these crop shots, different women layering, but creating one. So.
Jeff Williams:
One figure, one form, more or less… out of these, right? I feel like I’ve seen this one before when Perspectives Gallery in Petersburg had one of their shows and I feel like I've never seen that Zach Adams piece before. It's a figure in like very, very dark. Appears to be, though it might not be female form with a shroud over, sitting on a small stool. Yeah, more or less, like almost the feeling of being hidden or trapped. It's a very strong piece, mostly dark, very dense and dark, with just this single figure sitting on a chair with like a shroud over it in a pretty cool form. And it looks like there's a Dumb Records. I see the elephant in front of Dumb Records over here. Is that correct?
Pierre Jacques:
Yes.
Jeff Williams:
Right.
Pierre Jacques:
Tagged, with ‘Brat’ on it.
Jeff Williams:
Right, yes, indeed.
Pierre Jacques:
It was a Brat summer. And yeah, that's something I like to do. Just I'll go out late at night and I'll stop by a few bars. Most of the time we'll just go on a long walk. Good pictures like that. Just capture the times.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely, yeah.
Pierre Jacques:
This one is Washington Park.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, is it? The lock on there in Washington Park? Okay, right on. What we're looking at now is like, you can kind of see the diffused park in the background. Looks like the lower lagoon, I think, though it might not be the lower, with the gate. And on the gate, like you'd see just green. just portion, like forming diamonds more or less with a lock on it, much like the lock, if you're in Peoria, looking across from like the East Peoria side, there's like a lot of locks that people have put on, like these gates where you kind of look across to Peoria. And that is an ode to… I think it's in Paris, or is it? Yeah.
Pierre Jacques:
A lock of love. I know the reference, but I can't reference it.
Jeff Williams:
Right, I can't either. That's kind of looks like it's an ode to that in a way, you know. So cool. And those are ones you've done, the dumb records in the Washington Park one then. And now we're looking out basically through the big windows into a portion of Jacksonville. We see the Leo's Pizza on Wheels truck. And just some other businesses. We're not directly on the square in Jacksonville, but it's a pretty cool view you have up here too, It is.
Pierre Jacques:
I like to people walk up here sometimes.
Jeff Williams:
Are these some pieces that your kids did right here?
Pierre Jacques:
Yes.
Jeff Williams:
Got some kids acrylic. It looks like acrylic pieces going on.
Pierre Jacques:
Miss Annette and Pearson.
Jeff Williams:
Annette and Pearson are your kids.
Pierre Jacques:
I didn’t have them up yesterday when they came by.
Jeff Williams:
Oh.
Pierre Jacques:
And I was putting all the other artwork up and my kids said, why didn't you put ours up? What are you doing?
Jeff Williams:
Oh, right. No, got to get them up! Any people from Jacksonville listening or in the Springfield area, if you want to come over and check out this, it's a cool photography and acrylic art show. And once again, tell people where it's located at.
Pierre Jacques:
Located Nickel and a Dream. And it's May 1st and 2nd, Friday and Saturday from 4 to 8. And On Saturday, 12 to 6. 228 South Mauvaisterre Street, Jacksonville, Illinois.
Jeff Williams:
So, the front door, it'll be open where you can just walk right in, right? There's a parking lot. Pull into the parking lot, and there's like the first door just off the parking lot. Open the door, you'll see stairs going up. Follow your nose at that point and come upstairs. It's a cool spot. It looks like it'll be a really cool show. I have a couple pieces that I haven't, one piece I haven't really shown very much at all. Well, you'll just have to come and see. Pierre Jacques.
Pierre Jacques:
Pierre Jacques.
Jeff Williams:
All right, well, thank you very much, Pierre, for showing us around your studio. Yeah, thank you.
Pierre Jacques:
Thank you.
Jeff Williams:
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