July 14, 2025

Ferris State alum and rising artist Jackson Wrede continues emergence with inaugural solo exhibition

A first solo exhibition is typically seen as an artist’s grand arrival. Just don’t expect Jackson Wrede to stop too long to smell the roses.

With his solo debut Menagerie earlier this year at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Wrede offered not a singular artistic voice and identity, but a window into a creative practice that's continuously pushing forward. 

“Most solo exhibitions I’ve seen, the work tends to look the same to me—that’s not a bad thing, it’s just that I’m someone who enjoys variety as both a creator and a consumer of art,” Wrede said. “When I looked at everything I wanted to show—I’ve got realist paintings, some more in the vein of Japanese symbolists, some inspired by pop culture—‘menagerie’ felt like the perfect frame for the way my painting has broadened over the past few years.” 

Wrede’s deviation from the norm hasn’t been an impediment to his growth. Since graduating from the Master of Fine Arts program at Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design in 2021, he's earned a reputation as one of the Midwest’s most promising and skilled emerging artists in large part because of his versatility as a painter. 

The past few years have marked a period of meaningful development for Wrede, whose quiet but rigorous studio practice in Grand Rapids has begun to earn him significant recognition. In 2023, he was awarded the Quinquagenary Grand Prize at the Swope Art Museum’s 79th Wabash Valley Exhibition and the Grand Prize at the 44th Michigan Fine Arts Competition—an award that ultimately led to the opportunity to hold his first solo exhibition. 

In 2024, Wrede gained further distinction when he received a Certificate of Excellence in the Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition, placing his work among the top 50 out of more than 3,000 entries. He went on to earn first place in the “Outside the Box” category of the PSA’s 2024 Members Only competition, signaling a continued trajectory from regional acclaim toward broader recognition.

This wave of early-career success proved to be the perfect launchpad for Menagerie. The exhibition showcased both Wrede's immense technical skill and stylistic flexibility through 25 of his most recent paintings, ranging from realist portraits, landscapes, and still lifes to symbolist works that evoke the bold visual language of American popular culture.

That might seem expansive—and it is in terms of how much work solo exhibitions typically feature—but not so much when you consider that Wrede has created more than 100 paintings in the last two years alone.

“There can be this pressure on young artists to find that voice right away, or develop that signature look or have this defining body of work,” he said. “And while I think it can be a helpful exercise to explore those things, to me it’s much more this intentional process of learning through making, where your identity as an artist more so reveals itself to you.”

Menagerie was just as much a showcase for Wrede himself as it was for his work. He’s long realized the value of treating exhibition openings and receptions as networking opportunities, and with this being his solo debut, he was even more intentional about making connections that can open new doors down the road. 

At the opening reception and over the course of the exhibition’s run, he received a wealth of positive feedback from viewers who were struck by the variety of his work, and returned in the closing days to give an artist talk and participate in a Q&A session. All told, he sold five paintings and came away with a host of new opportunities to explore. 

“If there’s one big takeaway from the experience, it’s just how much work a solo show truly involves,” Wrede said. “Not only in creating the art, but in promoting it, transporting it, installing it, and staying engaged throughout. It’s given me a much deeper appreciation for the effort behind any exhibition I see from here on out.”

Exhibitions are only one aspect of Wrede’s career as a professional artist. He’s created dozens of commissioned pieces for private clients, ranging from personalized portraits to more off-beat compositions like this “American Gothic” inspired painting of Taylor Swift and Kanye West. He also gives guest lectures and offers one-on-one private lessons tailored to each client’s interests and aspirations—just as much for his own growth as others’.

“Teaching is a great way to stay in learning mode yourself,” Wrede said. “I’m interested in hearing what other people want out of their creative practice and figuring out how I can help.”

Underpinning all these professional pursuits is an email newsletter Wrede launched in 2022 with a list of 80 subscribers that he’s since grown to more than 600. On top of promoting exhibitions and advertising his commission and teaching services, the newsletter now also gives readers a fascinating in-depth look into his creative process.

Beyond satisfying modern appetites for behind-the-scenes content, it’s Wrede's way of demonstrating the unique value of his creativity in an era where art feels more accessible and readily consumable than ever before.

“I basically think of my paintings as trying to make a Ferrari,” he said. “I'm trying to create a coveted item that people want to have because it's this special, rare thing. And not every artist has to think of their work that way, but I really want people to recognize and be impressed by the skill and dedication I bring to my pieces.” 

With Menagerie now in the rearview, Wrede continues to build momentum. He recently followed last year’s success in competitions with another semifinalist finish in the 2025 PSA International Portrait Competition. He also attend the 2025 PSA Annual Conference in Reston, Va., where he connected with artists from around the country and continued to widen his network. 

And this fall, Wrede will be relocating to Washington state to take part in the inaugural Seattle Prize Fellowship, which unites seven emerging artists from around the world to create ambitious original art that’s rooted in beauty, truth, and human connection.

“It’s the first fully funded program of its kind to be held in generations, and I’m deeply honored to be a part of it,” he said. “I’m excited to begin this new chapter of my art journey.”