an artist lives here

i came to harvard with questions (many i didn’t realize i still had) about god, about church, about queerness and transness, about blackness and how all those things intersected, interacted. i expected the liberation i was looking for as a queer black person to take a lot of rigor, but it didn’t. by the end of my first semester i had some of the clarity i’d needed: pretty quickly i felt clear that i wasn’t interested in centering my work or focus in resistance to power, fighting for people to believe in my/our humanity––i was interested in using my creative artistry to serve the queer and trans people that have come from, and felt disinherited by, the black church tradition.

after being clearer and feeling freer, a lot of artistic expression started coming out, and often. so, as part of the completion of my master of religion and public life degree program, i produced an a portfolio or art offering a personal and introspective glimpse into my creative journey throughout my year at harvard divinity school. 

those pieces, plus many additional pieces of work, comprise an artist lives here, my first art exhibit, presented in may 2025 at harvard divinity school. the exhibition features works that explore themes of spirituality, identity, and transformation. the pieces reflect my academic, creative and emotional development during the school year, blending intellectual & spiritual exploration with artistic expression.

below is a taste of this exhibition in photos. the exhibition is also accompanied by a 20-page narrative detailing the creation of the portfolio and exhibition, a 1000-word personal reflection statement, and a 45-minute talk on my personal artistic journey through harvard.

touring an artist lives here

we’re working on bringing an artist lives here, the art exhibition paired with the talk, to cities across the country. if you’re interested in bringing the show to your city, and have authority, influence, or connectivity to making that happen, please email me, jarrett@jarretthill.com.