In Frankfort, Kentucky 1947, James and Martha purchased a modest 3 bedroom home in preparation for the birth of their daughter, Marjorie. The two story white house sat at 317 East 3rd Street, on the banks of the Kentucky River in the predominantly Black, South Frankfort neighborhood.

After years of battling racism and recession, “317” represented a newfound freedom, and it seems that their only daughter Marjorie was birthed into that freedom. In that house, they fostered a creative and resilient spirit, as Marjorie would grow to live beyond the dreams of many southern Black women, traveling the country to gather artistic inspiration. 

In 1986, Marjorie would return to that house to birth and raise a daughter of her own, Jardan. The freedom and creativity fostered by an artist mother gave way for Jardan to dream and live in color. That freedom and creative energy culminated in her first piece of art at age 6, which she named “Wild Sassaby,” and though she wouldn’t know for many years, until she returned to “317,” a brand was born.

That Wild Sassaby, an abstract consisting of each color in the rainbow, marked a birth of confidence, and along with “317,”  would continuously serve as a reminder for Jardan to live creatively and evolve, in memory and commemoration of her ancestors. The feelings of home in the south, movement of the water, and fond memories of girlhood, are represented in the Jardan’s art, as she aims to inspire Black girls to boldly walk through doors, opened by their ancestors.