Jessica Portner

Bio

I’m a contributing writer for the Iris. As a journalist, I've covered science, education, and art, both as a staff writer for The San Jose Mercury News and as a freelancer for The Washington Post and the Science Channel. I've also studied political philosophy, surrealism, and Shakespeare. I grew up in L.A. and have been tooling around museums since I was in kindergarten.

Stories

  1. Unraveling the Narrative: A Conversation with Photographer Eileen Cowin

    Article

    On the stories we tell ourselves and others

    Oct 10, 2011

  2. The Making of Charles Ray’s Boy with Frog

    Article

    Front detail of a white sculpture of a nude boy holding a frog in front of the Getty Museum

    Following the sculpture from artist’s conception to installation at the Getty

    Jul 26, 2011

  3. Drawing the Line: Conserving Master Drawings with a Light Touch

    Article

    Photograph of a room with a table in the middle with drawings on it. In the far right corner, a woman is walking towards the table.

    Unveiling hidden clues to unfinished works on paper, undiscovered sketches, and details of the artist’s craft

    Feb 11, 2011