Hey there, I’m Jory.

My journey has been a wild ride that has taken me from a small town in Kansas to the U.S. Navy to the world of fine art where I completed both my BFA and MFA in sculpture and installation.

The real turning point for me, however, was when I joined The Trevor Project, first as a crisis counselor, and eventually as a training associate on the Training Team. It was there that I discovered the power of being present, of listening, and of empathy.

My passion for suicide prevention continues in my work at Vibrant Emotional Health, where I support crisis centers across the U.S. to develop, adapt, and train crisis workers for the 988 Lifeline.

However, I continue my fervor to create art in my studio at Pop Gallery in the Santa Fe Art’s district in Denver, Colorado, Under a visual universe I call Soft Resistance — work rooted in the idea that tenderness, pleasure, and emotional vulnerability are not weaknesses, but quiet forms of defiance.

I’m interested in bodies, identity, and how people survive systems that weren’t built with care in mind. My work is political, but not loud. I’m less interested in arguing and more interested in presence — showing bodies that are allowed to exist, rest, desire, and take up space without apology.

Visually, I gravitate toward simplified, symbolic imagery influenced by American traditional tattooing, woodcut textures, and limited color palettes. You’ll see recurring themes like tarot, cowboy mythology, witchcraft, kitsch, and queer intimacy — not as nostalgia or shock, but as tools for storytelling.

At its core, my work is about autonomy, care, and the belief that softness can still hold strength.