BY DR. REBEKAH MCCLOUD, GUEST WRITER TO THE TIMES
EATONVILLE — Jane Turner is a multi-talented artist who paints in oil and acrylic, works in pastel, graphite, and charcoal, creates batiks, sculptures, and pottery, and is a photographer. Born in Alabama to a military family, Jane started painting as a child. Often, she completed paint-by-number projects as her family traveled to various destinations. “I thought of it as something to do, not anything I put any thought to,” she said. Later, she started to draw figures and mix paint colors. In addition to numerous bases in the United States, her family lived in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. These places have all inspired her work.
Jane is a self-taught artist. In 1981, prompted by her admiration for and despair over the assignation of Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, she completed “Anwar’s Dream” her first serious painting. Jane returned to Eatonville in 1990. At the time, she did not know the significance of Eatonville, there she was introduced to the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston. She was encouraged by the knowledge and found herself painting daily. To describe her relationship with art at the time, Jane said, “It was more a revelation than an inspiration that came to me in mid-life. I should be serious about what seemed to come naturally to me, my love for creating art.” A year later, Jane held her first art exhibit at the Zora Neale Hurston Festival in Eatonville.
In 2002, she enrolled in Crealde School of Art (Winter Park) to study sculpture and photography. She has also studied batik at the Maitland Art Center and pottery at the City of Orlando Pottery Studio. Until 2020, Jane signed her work as Jane Lily (after her great-grandmother Jane and her grandmother Lily). She shortened the name to Jlily. However, in February 2020, Jane made a life-changing trip to Nigeria. There, in the Yorba Tradition, she was ceremonially renamed to Omolara Romoke Adunni. She adopted Omolara as her artist’s name.
Jane’s artwork has been inspired by her travels, nature, and world events. After the death of George Floyd, she painted a piece (Black Lives Matter). It has been a part of her display at several local museums. Additionally, she painted a piece (The Story of AIDS) that took her seven years to complete.
Jane has exhibited her work at The African American Museum of Art, Bethune-Cookman College, Ethnic Gallery, Gateway Center for the Arts, Maitland Art Center, Orlando City Arts Factory, Orlando City Hall, the Orlando Museum of Art, Osceola Center for the Arts, and Tajiri School of Performing Arts. A graduate of Tuskegee (Institute) University and a retired social worker, Jane has an artist studio in Eatonville.
Puzzled Peace artists and storyteller, author Valada Flewellyn will participate in the Orange County Regional History Center’s Heritage Day Celebration, Saturday, January 25 from 10:00am-3:00pm. Storytelling and a panel discussion with the Puzzled Peace artists will take place at 1:00pm. Admission to the museum is free to the public.
Puzzled Peace www.puzzledpeace.weebly.com
