Jesse is a comic artist and illustrator. He has spent the past decade working on freelance art projects in the music industry and the indie comic community. For him, comic art has been a meaningful way to connect with his Lakota traditions, specifically the practice of drawing winter counts (Annual pictorial records painted on an animal hide, traditionally kept by the Lakota people). His first connection with DAI was through the BIPOC Artist in-residency program at Laura MacArthur Elementary, where he worked at the preschool. He continued working with DAI through the BAM and Summer Camp programs where he guided his classes in creating a comic book zine.
Jesse is eager to continue working with those programs, now in the capacity of Education Coordinator. He is grateful for the opportunities that the DAI has provided him and he looks forward to supporting other artists while upholding DAI’s mission of innovation and inclusivity.