Is a visual artist, educator, writer, consultant, & collaborative entrepreneur. She is founding director of Brush & Reed, a nomadic, teaching resource dedicated to global calligraphic sensibilities cultures— to the fine arts of communication & of behavior. Her teaching, visual works, writings, collaborations, & curatorial efforts explore an expanded view of communication—highlighting links between social justice, multi-sensory semiotics, healing arts & fine arts, & the continued influence of calligraphic traditions & cultures on contemporary trends. Jēna has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in (post)colonial studies. She apprenticed in Arabic Calligraphy in the Thuluth style with Elinor Aishah Holland in NY & Ahmet Bursali in Istanbul. Her visual work has been privately & commercially commissioned in NYC, NM, CO, MA & Mexico. Her Kimono designs walked the red carpet at the Fez Music Festival in Morocco. For over a decade, she has taught & presented across the US, & in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica & in the CO wilderness through Outward Bound. She is author & illustrator of six commissioned art tutorial books including: Chinese Brush Techniques, Contemporary Calligraphy, & The Art of The Scribble. She was 2020 writer in residence at The Poetry Barn, working on a book of poems, Undressed Gods, that explores family, national, & psycho-spiritual legacies—seeking to leave the wedding/not just its white dress. Jēna was head cook at The Sufi Lodge in NYC for five years & incorporates the art of “savoring” into her signature Love Letters retreats.