Jess Smoot is a professional mischief-maker dedicated to using art and performance to ask questions and disrupt assumptions. Their penchant for play brought them naturally to being a clown, a performance form that influences much of their work and the way they enter a space. Jess’s work centers around community voices and shared histories, and thrives in unlikely collaborations from artists and non-artists alike. Their work has been performed across Chicago in traditional and DIY spaces and festivals. During their time at SAIC, their work has expanded into installation and multimedia collage.

Jess also considers teaching artistry to be an important part of their practice. Their teaching work has brought them to collaborate with many incredible organizations such as Junior Players, Emerald City Theatre, and the Auditorium Theatre’s ArtsXchange program, amongst others.

When not making, Jess is spending time with their menagerie of animals and playing the four chords they know on guitar.