Bracelet and Necklace Set by Jasmine Oliver by Amy Myers

Jasmine Oliver

Jasmine Oliver is a versatile artist and dancer with a vibrant personality that shines through in her work. She is influenced by her feelings, family, and music, and prefers to work in a freestyle manner using everything around her for inspiration and allowing her creativity to flow onto the canvas. Each of her painting and dancing sessions are different from the last, always letting her imagination take control. She has a curiosity for mixing colors and an eye for detail, especially when it comes to drawing her favorite cartoons.

Jasmine has been bringing hip-hop to Arts Access with her dance choreography. She loves to draw inspiration from social dancing and music videos to create large group works for herself and others, and “wants everyone to have a good time while performing or watching her work,” according to dance facilitator Alyssa Thostesen.

Amy Myers

Amy is a multidisciplinary artist who works in drama, dance, writing, and painting. Much of her art is rooted in personal reflection, often drawing from her dreams and lived experiences. She describes her work as the truest expression of her inner world—a way to share her thoughts, feelings, and imagination with others. In her acrylic paintings, Amy often builds up layers of brushstrokes, carefully covering every part of the canvas. This thoughtful approach gives her work a sense of depth and complexity while showcasing her precise, deliberate style. Dreams and introspection run through much of her art, made visible not just in the imagery but also in the titles she chooses. Pieces like Amy’s Happy Dream, Mixed Up and Bad Dreams, and Amy’s Dream reflect her ongoing exploration of joy, conflict, and memory. These themes carry over into her writing and performance work as well, tying her creative voice together across disciplines. In the summer of 2019, Amy participated in a special collaboration with RVCC, in which she and fellow Arts Access artist, Paul Santo, studied theatre production at Raritan Valley Community College. The course was a great learning experience, in which Amy and Paul learned and practiced new techniques alongside other theatre students. The course culminated in an intimate performance by the entire class. Just a couple months later, Amy was able to put those new skills to work when her play “The Monsters Go Away” was selected to be part of the Full Circle 2019 stage show. For Amy, making art is both calming and empowering. Painting brings her peace, while the Arts Access program gives her the space to fully embrace her identity as an artist. As Amy herself puts it: “It lets me be Amy."