Jeanine Blaney grew up in Lake Charles, La and graduated from Washington Marion Magnet High School, Delta School of Business, and McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La. She earned a Bachelor of General Studies with a Concentration in Behavioral Science from McNeese State University and an Associate in Occupational Studies-Secretarial Administration from Delta School of Business. Known for volunteering in the community and promoting African American arts and culture, Jeanine Blaney began volunteering with the Women’s Commission of SWLA in 2015 and the Black Heritage Gallery in 2016.

She served as the Executive Board Secretary for the Women’s Commission of SWLA 2016 through 2019; 2018 Fall Conference Speak Chair, and the speaker was Ms. Tamron Hall. Blaney continues to encourage women to achieve their goals; she has over 18 years of organizing public service committees and events. While volunteering with the Gallery, Blaney started her journey in photography. As a novice photographer, she began taking pictures with her smartphone, and today she excels with her smartphone photography. In addition, she serves as the Gallery’s photographer.

Artist Statement

Capture The Moments

When you capture the moments in photography, it is so much more than just pointing the camera at a scene and clicking the button. It’s about understanding that moment. It’s essential to capture these moments because they’re fleeting and forgettable- it may take a year or more to forget them. Still, you can lose the feeling without a timeless, visual reminder and never dig it up again. A photo can bring back the emotions, memories, and scents attached to the image. – Jeanine Blaney

I want my audience to focus on the moment, not the pictures’ pose. I focus more on the moments.