Made of Stories: Jaclyn Conley

Januray 16 – May 2, 2026

Made of Stories features large-scale paintings and collages by Connecticut-based artist, Jaclyn Conley. These artworks are driven by curiosity and comprehensive research; each work drawing upon aspects of history and art history.  

The painting A Time for All Things features Don Quixote, the fictional character from Miguel de Cervantes’ two-part novel. In it, Conley combines the images of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza with the sensational lore of yippies and hippies from the 1967 March on the Pentagon – an event in which Abby Hoffman pledged to levitate the government building. The subjects are interconnected to form a dynamic narrative that speaks to the larger concept of a quest for the impossible.  

In the three collaged paintings, Conley reveals her process of piecing together fragmented abstractions to inform ideas that are then further explored in larger paintings. Conley explains, “memory is similar to collage – bits of information are coming together that we weigh differently, that they change as well, that they are not solid.” This foundational undertaking is an essential part in making these multi-layered stories.  

Conley often uses revered art historical references in her work. In Communards Under the Stars, Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s painting The Hunters in the Snow and archival photographs of the Guilford, Vermont commune, Total Loss Farm, are used as inspiration. Conley taps into a uniting theme of the two sources – seasonal realities to evoke a sense of wintry enchantment, the harsh reality of the coldest season, and life on the land. Aspects of the composition are assembled to reflect new imagery while her use of layered oil paint creates movement and texture to pull the viewer into the richly colored, fractured narrative.