City Editor Elizabeth, here. Last month, I called on subscribers to nominate who in the community they’d like to hear from. Thanks to reader Bonnie D. for nominating Fort Worth-based artist Jan Riggins.
Riggins — originally from Norman, Oklahoma — is a local street artist who specializes in vinyl, chalk, and tempera art. She’s been featured in Buzzfeed, The Dallas Morning News, and even our own mural guide. She graduated from college with a clarinet performance degree in 1999, but has discovered a passion for anamorphic art. Time to meet the artist behind these vibrant pieces of chalk-work.
Q: How did you get started making art?
A: I’d always done art with my mom, and I had a grandmother who painted so I’d always used colored pencils. When my grandmother passed away, she left me a ton of art supplies, so I began doing watercolor painting. When Fort Worth started its Chalk Art Festival eight or nine years ago, I’d never done chalk art before, but that’s how I was introduced to it. I attended the festival for a couple of years before COVID. Then, during COVID, I started coloring a lot more at home with my daughter, who was 13 at the time, and we did it for all of our neighbors.
Q: When did you start getting hired?
A: By the end of 2020. So, for the last five years, I’ve been figuring out anamorphic art. I’ve become a part of this community of chalk artists, and it’s just been a dream. I never knew that I could create art and make money. People pay me for this, which is crazy.
“Come To Gather” spells out “gather” in American Sign Language. | Photo by @texasmindbodyandspirit
Q: Can you tell me the story behind “Come to Gather,” and who you worked with?
A: That was a grant with Art Tooth. I worked with Katrina Carpenter at Carpenter’s Cafe and Catering, and it was a long design process. She wanted something that really told her story and was inclusive of everybody involved in it, from the time she worked for the school district to her family members to the people who worked with her in her restaurant. She had everybody come together — literally. The street signs represent her progression through the city and where she grew up.
Q: What is the farthest you’ve traveled for your art?
A: Germany and the Netherlands.
Q: Do you have any upcoming events in DFW that readers can look out for?
A: I’ll probably be in Princeton on Saturday, June 28, for the Freedom and Fireworks. I’ll also have a piece in Garland for Red, White, and You on Thursday, July 3. Everything else is out of the state.
Q: Where do you want to go from here?
A: I want to take it from the ground to the wall. So, I really want to do more interactive 3D murals. I did one at Beren Mediterranean — it’s a Longhorn sticking its head out of a frame while you’re eating, looking down at you.
Q: If you could pass the mic, what other FTW artists should readers follow?
A: @jackdawfolkart and @velazquez_art_
Q: What’s your favorite part about Fort Worth?
A: The coffee shops.
Me too, Jan, me too.
You can keep up with Jan and everything she’s doing around DFW on her Instagram + check out her array of artworks in her online portfolio.
Editor’s note — the Fort Worth Chalk Art Festival is currently not scheduled for 2025.
