Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

IT’S hard to miss Jenifer Wofford’s creations. Just along Market Street in San Francisco, you’d see posters about a woman named Flor Villanueva, a Filipina nurse who emigrated from Manila to the United States in 1973.

"At the time I applied for the Market Street public arts project in 2008, I had been working with the Filipina nurse as a subject in my art for a couple of years," Wofford said and continued, "Since the Market Street project was the perfect opportunity to deepen the work I’d already been doing, by creating a story around a young Filipina nurse, newly emigrated to San Francisco. I constructed a fictional character and narrative around actual historical events in the US and the Philippines in the 1970s."

But there is more to Wofford’s work that sets her apart from most artists. Hers conveys information, feelings and unpretentious humor. It also speaks out to many, as well as makes those who view her art, think.

Born in San Francisco to a Caucausian-American father and a half-Filipina mother, Jenifer grew up in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia. She moved back to California for high school and received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1995, and her MFA from UC Berkeley in 2007. Her work has been exhibited in the Bay Area at the Richmond Art Center, a.o.v, Babilonia 1808, Southern Exposure, Intersection for the Arts, Dorothy Weiss Gallery, nationally at New Image Art (Los Angeles), the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum (Salt Lake City), the Philippine Consulate (Honolulu), and internationally at Future Prospects (Manila, Philippines), and Galerie Blanche (Mandelieu-La Napoule, France). Jenifer has undertaken artist residencies at

The Living Room, Malate, Metro Manila, Philippines, Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, New York, and Chateau de la Napoule, Mandelieu-La Napoule, France. Awards include a 2006 Murphy/Cadogan Fellowship. She’s worked in arts education since 1993, via such organizations as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Southern Exposure, San Francisco Conservation Corps, Casa De Los Jovenes, Leadership High School, Galileo High School, the b.a.y. fund, and Out Of Site.

Wofford has also been part of the brilliant artist team known as the Mail Order Brides/M.O.B. M.O.B. is a fun and whimsical look on their Filipina identities she said. They have produced projects for such venues as the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the DeYoung Museum, and The San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. "I’ve collaborated with Reanne Estrada and Eliza Barrios since 1996, on very fun, performative, over-the-top, photo, video and installation projects," she said about M.O.B. "I think when we were younger, it was a way of ‘trying on’ our Filipina identities, as a kind of ‘drag:’ we were trying to understand our mothers, and our roles as pinays, in the only way that made sense to us—through humor. Since then, Wofford said that they ideas became more political—but ridiculous as ever.

"Teachers and other artists (dead and alive) were my biggest influences," said Wofford and added, "While I was a creative, imaginative child, I don’t think I demonstrated any particular interest in being an artist until I was in high school." She went on by saying that her teachers were encouraging, and she found out that she was really interested in the ideas and the history behind art, not just the skills.

But the single-greatest inspiration she had when was at the San Francisco Art Institute was the first Filipino instructor she ever had—Carlos Villa. "He showed me how being an artist wasn’t just about making work, alone in a studio—it was about community and education and activism."

Part of this passion to learn and share her knowledge and talent may be the reason why she teaches art. Starting with shortterm workshops and projects with non-profit organizations 15 years ago, Wofford however, explained that the desire to teach was a combination of things she didn’t expect. "…How fun, dynamic, unpredictable and goofy it was to work with kids. How challenging, stressful, but ultimately meaningful it felt to teach, as opposed to just make, art."

She sadly noted however, that the challenges have been the same for public school art teachers. "Too many students per class, tight budgets. For art at the high school level, there’s also very limited student skill and knowledge to build on (since many students lose art classes after elementary school)."

She also laments the lack of jobs as a university lecturer, especially in the current economic situation. "There are no full-time jobs for me, or any for a number of my peers."

Being an Asian/Filipino-American artist, Wofford believes that challenges have been education, accessibility at times, and sometimes, the content of work she does isn’t immediately understood by the mainstream American art audience. "The folks who might more immediately appreciate it aren’t in the habit of going to museums and galleries as often. When Filipinos start going to museum and galleries, and increasing their presence as visitors and patrons, this will change."

But she sees this situation to change soon. "It’s all changing, really. I feel grateful to have grown up in an era where I’ve seen radical change in what’s acceptable, and who’s acceptable, in the art world. I feel grateful for mentors like artist Carlos Villa, who made his early work under very different, more difficult conditions."

Her advise to those who want to pursue a career in art? Aside from advising to build a strong community of creative peers who also want to succeed and encourage one’s success, Wofford shares this piece of advice, "Don’t be afraid, and don’t be a flake. Those two things eliminate 90 percent of the talent out there. Artists are sensitive, whimsical creatures—sometimes we need to push it—to work a little harder to put ourselves out there, to not second guess ourselves, to follow through with obligations…Success is not some big mystery tied to creative genius. It’s all up to you to be energetic and persistent enough to make it happen."