I Want to Build a Better Garden by Jocelyn Steslicke
Artist Statement
"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men." – Herman Melville
There are lots of different ways to cultivate a garden. While you can toss some seeds on the ground and hope for the best, the best gardens are planted with effort and intention. Time is spent preparing the soil, picking out spots with enough sun and shade for the different kinds of plants, and consistent maintenance after everything has been planted to ensure that each plant is receiving the care and support it needs to thrive in that garden. Communities are cultivated the same way.
The bottom layer of this piece is made up of layer after layer of writing, about the injustices threatening and hurting our community. Layering the words until they are obscured and fade into the background, much like how speaking up about
injustices can often feel. And yet we will continue to speak up until we can ensure a spot with enough sun for everyone in the community to thrive.
On top of this field of writings, a garden sits. Made up of flora and fauna native to North Carolina, the home that Jocelyn has known her whole life and one of the many communities she would like to see thrive.
Artist Bio
Jocelyn Steslicke is a Raleigh based, multifaceted artist and art instructor who has been exploring nature and movement in her work; drawing much of her inspiration from the North Carolina wildlife that has surrounded her all of her life. Jocelyn holds a BFA in Studio Art, with a concentration in Drawing and Printmaking, from UNC Greensboro.
Plan Your Visit
Located at our first-floor entrance, the chalk mural wall provides invited artists with a blank canvas to create new artworks on the wall every two to three months.
- When: March 9 - June 28, 2026
- Location: Pullen Arts Center, 105 Pullen Rd., Raleigh, NC 27607
- Parking: Visitors must have a parking permit between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Check in at Pullen Arts Center’s front desk for a license plate-based parking permit. View our parking map
- Cost: Free and open to public
- Hours:
- Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
- Friday, Closed
- Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
