About

Jerry James is an artist and musician based in New York City. He works in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, and music production. He is currently Executive Director of The Art School at Old Church in Demarest, New Jersey

Prior experiences include creating and directing the multidisciplinary Department of Teaching and Learning at The Center for Arts Education in New York City, and teaching at The Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center Institute, The School of Visual Arts, and Teachers College, Columbia University. A former MCA recording artist, Jerry was a founding member of the original Lost Tropics band (MCA #5409). Since then, he has continued to co-mingle visual art, music, and conceptual art.

Jerry grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. He discovered a passion for performing and recording when Lenis Guess asked him to improvise a bass solo on "Working for My Baby." Jerry continued to write and perform music while studying visual art at Old Dominion University and went on to earn an MFA in painting from Yale University and a Doctorate in Art Education from Columbia University.

Jerry is a recipient of several awards, including the Ely Harwood Schless Memorial Prize for Painting from The Yale School of Art.