Artist pays tribute to Alexander, but never met her – Salisbury Post

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Artist Kendrick Jobe talks in front of one of his pieces on display in Durham. Submitted

Kendrick Jobe at a coffee shop talks about his future and the future of art in North Carolina. Elisabeth Strillacci, Salisbury Post

By Elisabeth Strillacci

LEXINGTON — Art is driven by any number of things, inspiration coming in all different forms depending on both the artist and the prompt.

For Kendrick Jobe, an up-and-coming artist in Lexington, reading the moving tribute to Salisbury’s late Mayor Karen Alexander by his mayor Jason Hayes pushed him to learn more about Alexander. And the more he learned, the more he wanted to find a way to pay tribute to her, despite having never met her.

“I was amazed by the work she did for others,” Jobe said. “She was devoted to working for others, to helping others, and the more I looked into all the things she did, the more convinced I was that she cared about everyone.”

Jobe also said she reminded him in many ways of his own grandmother, who recently passed away, which made it that much more important to find a way to honor Alexander.

“I also found her granddaughter on social media and read the things she said, and it was incredibly moving. She is so deserving of recognition.”

Jobe has been an artist since he began drawing as a child, he said, and portraits have been a particular passion, so creating a portrait of the late mayor made sense.

Jobe was born in New Jersey in 1995, spending his first decade of life in South Orange before his family moved to Lexington when he was 12. He began drawing as a child, with crayons then pencils and even had a spate of digital creations, but these days, oils are his love.

His work these days captures the everyday experiences of ordinary people, and he intentionally tries to capture immigrant life when he can. And he does his art, in many instances, in the moment, standing on street corners or in group of people gathered for events.

“I saw people doing street painting in New York City, and thought it was fantastic, and over time, I gained the confidence to be able to do that myself,” he said. “No one was really doing anything like that here.”

He did garner attention two years ago when he stationed himself on the corner of Center and Main streets in Lexington to create a portrait of Donald Trump.

It was never intended to be a political statement, but Jobe said “a lot of people still hold that against me.” It did bring him into the spotlight, but he hopes that he can leave that in his history and that people will see his other works.

“I did a piece of work depicting a lynching, and a lot of people said that was emotional, moving, but it didn’t get the attention that Trump’s portrait did,” he said.

Jobe said his 20s were difficult years but he feels the work he put in is finally beginning to pay off. His 30th birthday was Monday, Feb. 10, and he said his 30s have been off to a wonderful start.

He is now presenting his art and workshops at some area schools, including N.C. State and Duke University, and said he would love to start an art workshop at local nursing homes. His art is currently on display in Durham at Provident1898, a shared workspace in the N.C. Mutual Building.

Jobe said two of his favorite artists are Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo.

“I love the style of Van Gogh, and I love the fact that Frida lived her life through her art,” he said. “She had so many struggles, and all of it is reflected in her art, some of which can be disturbing because it is so honest.”

Jobe is particularly focused on the art scene in North Carolina, and N.C. artist Bob Timberlake is another one of his heroes.

“I admire him from afar,” Jobe said.”I would love to have the kind of impact on local art that he has had.”

Jobe credits his family, his mother, father and older sister, with being his strongest supporters through the years, and noted that at last, he is feeling like their support is finally paying dividends as his recognition is growing.

“I am looking forward to seeing North Carolina’s art scene grow, and to being a part of that,” he said. Persistent, determined and inspirational are words he believes describe who he is, and he hopes that is reflected in his work.

He hasn’t yet told the city of Salisbury that he is giving the portrait of Alexander to the city, and he is hoping it will be well received. He does do commissioned work, but this particular one is from his heart, and he will receive no payment for it.

“It’s from my heart, a way of honoring her and all she did, and I hope it will be well received,” he said. He expects the painting to be complete in about three months.