| Jarrod Nicholas Dortch | |
| Field: | Mural, Installation art, Contemporary Art |
| Works: | Black Lives Matter street mural (Indianapolis) |
Dr. Jarrod Nicholas "Snuggly Bear" Dortch is an American visual artist based in Indianapolis, IN. He also is a professor at a community college and a business owner.[1] His work has been featured in We.The Culture, an exhibit at Newfields Indianapolis Museum of Art. Dortch also does a plethora of community work with his agricultural endeavor, Solful Gardens, an Indiana State Department of Agriculture-recognized Indiana Grown produce provider.[2] As a member of the Eighteen Art Collective, he has created art with the intent to leave a legacy, connect and heal.[3]
Dortch was born in Springfield, Illinois but moved to Indianapolis in 1988.[4] [5] Dr. Jarrod Dortch was inspired in childhood by his older brother, Phillip, to pursue art. He adopted some of the stylistic choices like comic ink drawings from his brother that later developed into his own style that is less cartoony and more of an abstract form. His brother passed away at age 18, and Dortch uses art as a way to continue his brother's legacy. Dr. Jarrod Dortch received his Doctor of Education in Adult, Higher, and Community Education from Ball State University.[6]
Dortch has a vast career in art, education and agriculture. Dortch's first notable contribution as an artist was in the Indy 10 #BlackLivesMatter Mural on Indiana Avenue in 2020. He has been a part of many community events and projects since including, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the Lilly Day of Service, NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Tournament as part of #SWISH and Butter at Indy's Home Court for Allstar weekend in 2023.[7] He is an affiliated community artist and gardener with Big Car Collaborative, which is a creative community builder established to cultivate and boost urban livability in Garfield Park, for local artists.[8] Dortch grew up helping his father who was a farmer and landscaper and this background aided him in starting a community garden turned business, Solful Gardens.[9] Dotch is a professor of communication at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, IN. He has also curated for Art and Vinyl at Big Car and AUX at Hoy Polloy.