Budding from a long family history of visual artists, it was natural for Jesse Kassel to follow suit. In 2010 he earned a BFA with a focus in illustration and has since been exploring various creative outlets. Drawing inspiration from vintage advertisements and graphic design coupled with the rich cultural context and aging city façade, Kassel’s work is an Americana-tinged portrayal of the leisure seeking working class. His paintings of alcohol and tobacco products reflect social celebrations as well as the consequential dependency and grief of substance abuse. Using salvaged wood, household paint and twine, Kassel assembles his work with materials reminiscent of rural craft fair debris. His work has been featured at exhibitions both locally and around the world.