JENNIFER DAWN GRINER

Jennifer Griner is a Georgia-based artist and art educator whose work explores themes of remembrance, resilience, and legacy through painting. Raised in rural South Georgia, she studied art at Brenau University and earned her degree in Art Education from Georgia Southern University. Her practice bridges personal history and collective memory, encompassing two ongoing bodies of work: Larger Than Life, a series preserving family lineage through large-scale portraiture, and Voices Silenced, a memorial series honoring lives lost to school shootings in the United States.

Influenced by the narrative depth of Bo Bartlett and the commanding scale of Georgia O’Keeffe, Griner transforms fragile photographs, oral histories, and reconstructed imagery into bold, emotionally resonant works that invite reflection and dialogue. Her paintings have been exhibited throughout Georgia, with recent features including cover artwork for institutional publications and editorial coverage highlighting the intersection of her family history and artistic practice.

With a career spanning nearly three decades, Griner is also a dedicated educator and arts advocate, mentoring young artists in Advanced Placement Art & Design and International Baccalaureate Visual Art programs. Her contributions to art education have been recognized through numerous honors, including the 2024 GAEA Secondary Art Educator of the Year award. Through both her studio work and teaching, Griner seeks to preserve memory, honor lives, and foster meaningful conversations about how personal and collective histories shape the present.