Fall 2024
Yellow Studio Residents
Fall 2024
Jessica is an award-winning journalist and media professional with extensive experience in the business, lifestyle, and corporate/PR sectors. She’s held contributor roles at CNBC and Gannett, and has overseen communications for Fortune 500 companies.
In addition to her media career, Jessica is the author of three middle-grade books published by McGraw Hill. She has performed at Writer’s Read, a live essay reading series, and her work appears in two 650 Anthologies -- At the Bar and Back to High School. Jessica honed her creative writing skills at the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute and is seeking representation for her first novel Tuesday Night Special.
Jessica currently serves as the Vice President of the White Plains Library Foundation Board. She hosts and produces “Books & Brew,” a new author series benefiting the foundation, and the live storytelling show, StoryBOOM.
"During my Yellow Residency, my focus will be finishing a draft of my second novel. I’ve written about 25K words and plan to write a minimum of 25K words while in residence. My goal is to have a completed draft of the project by the end of the year." - Jessica Rao
Jessica Rao
Author-In-Residence
"I began my painting career two years ago, taking classes at the Katonah Art Center. Since beginning those classes in April 2022, I have now expanded my learning to private instruction by Justin Wood, a professional still life artist trained at the Grand Central Atelier in an effort to expand my knowledge and skill set.
On a personal note, my artistic journey may resonate with the values of Yellow Studio. As a woman in her 40s who, possibly, like other women in our society, put her creative pursuits on hold to raise a family and pursue a corporate career, I see the residency as a chance to not only develop and reclaim my artistic identity but also potentially represent a community of women with similar narratives. My ability to prioritize the residency and balancing this schedule would provide a platform to explore themes related to identity, resilience, and the pursuit of passion beyond (and within) societal expectations.
My Still Life pieces have recently been recognized with acceptance into the Art Show Bedford and the Stamford Art Association, along with garnering interest from collectors in New York." - Sophie Mohin Reisz
