ABOUT MARY JANE JESSEN
Mary Jane Jessen
Biography.
Mary Jane Jessen was born in Moncton, NB and moved to Victoria, BC with her family in 1969. She was always drawing and painting as a child and began taking private art lessons in the early 1970s.
In 2008, Mary Jane’s work entered into the international art market, which has taken her message of climate change to the United States, Italy, France and China. She is a signature member of the Artists for Conservation Foundation, and she supports young artists through the Gabriola Elementary School After School Art Program.
Curriculum Vitae
TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2012: Studio Art Centers International Florence (SACI Florence), Florence, Italy. Non-credit summer program, advanced painting.
2002: Emily Carr University, Vancouver, BC. Bachelor of Fine Art, Visual Arts major. Drawing and painting.
1997 – 2000: Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC. First and second year visual arts program.
1995 – 99: Open Learning Agency, Burnaby, BC. First and second year academics.
1991 – 95: Victor Arcega, MFA, Victoria, BC. Privately tutored in painting and colour theory.
1986 – 88: North Island College, Campbell River, BC. Drawing, painting, computer programming.
1978 – 82: Victoria College of Art, Victoria, BC. Visual Art Immersion Program and evening courses.
CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS
2005 & 2009: Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre,
Oceans of Art retreat
2007: An Afternoon with Al Gore. University of Victoria
2007: Guy Dauncey. Global Climate Change.
What Must We do? Gabriola Island, BC
2007: Are we killing the world’s oceans?
A University of Victoria — RSC: The Academies forum
GALLERIES & ASSOCIATIONS
2008 – Current: Artists for Conservation Foundation Signature member
2009 – 10: Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy.
2004: Nanaimo Art Gallery Downtown,
Art rental and sales program.
2002 – 06: Art 10 Gallery, Nanaimo, BC.
Artist run gallery.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2003 – 19: Gabriola Elementary School. Art Club Workshop, volunteer guest artist.
2004 – 2007: Nanaimo Art Gallery, artists in the school program. Tour guide for Downtown and Campus Gallery.
2006: Gallery 223. Nanaimo, BC. Teaching beginners and intermediate acrylic painting
2003 – 05: City of Nanaimo: Parks, Recreation and Culture. The Art of Paint, beginners and intermediate.
2003 – 04: Arts Alive Summer School of the Arts. Children’s classes.
2003 CityScape Community Artspace North Vancouver Arts Council.
One day workshop on Creative Collage Ideas.
EXHIBITIONS
2019, 2021: Artists for Conservation. Virtual exhibition
2019: Artists for Conservation. Lanwan Museum, Qingdao, China
2018: CityScape Community Artspace. North Vancouver Arts Council.
2018: Artists for Conservation. Annual Exhibit and Festival. Vancouver Convention Centre. Exhibit in collaboration with the International Ornithological Congress and the Vancouver International Bird Festival. (I had an artist’s booth to display my work) Participated in the Silent Skies Mural Project for festival
2017: Artists for Conservation. Lanwan Museum, Qingdao, China
2017: Artists for Conservation. VanDusen Botanical Gardens. Annual Exhibit and Festival
2016: Artists for Conservation. Virtual exhibition
2014, 2015: Artists for Conservation. Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA
2013–14: Artists for Conservation. Grouse Mountain Annual Exhibit and Festival
2011: Virtual Science — Art Nature Exhibit. Inspired by the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Washington, DC http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/SAN/Exhibit/AAAS-DC.html
2011: Nanaimo Art Gallery. BC Canada. Crows Revisited.
2010: Inside-Outside. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2010: Hidden Faces. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2010: GAIA Celestial fragments. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2009: Wildlife Art Auction. SVV Eve, Paris, France. Nov. 30. www.auctioneve.com
2009: Regina Di Cuori. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2009: Nature Mutations. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2009: Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Oceans of Art retreat and art show at Nanaimo Art Gallery. Canadian Federation of Artists.
2008: Momentum. “Living Our Culture” 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada. Curated by Liu Jian. In cooperation with the Shanghai Art Museum and Nanaimo Cultural Capital of Canada.
2005: Evolution. Emily Carr Institute, Vancouver, BC. 80th Anniversary Alumni Show.
2005: Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Oceans of Art retreat and art show at Nanaimo Art Gallery
2003: Borderlands: life at the edge of art. Campbell River & District Public Art Gallery, Campbell River, BC. Curated by Kristen Scholfield-Sweet.
2003: Altered Landscapes. CityScape Community Art Space, North Vancouver, BC.
ABOUT MARY JANE JESSEN
Mary Jane Jessen
Biography.
Mary Jane Jessen was born in Moncton, NB and moved to Victoria, BC with her family in 1969. She was always drawing and painting as a child and began taking private art lessons in the early 1970s.
Over the years, she has studied in several art institutions including Victoria College of Art, North Island College Campbell River and Vancouver Island University. In addition to this, Victor Arcega mentored her in painting and colour theory for three years. Mary Jane graduated from Emily Carr University with a BFA in the Visual Arts in 2002 and attended Studio Art Centers International (SACI) Florence, Italy in 2012.
In 2008, Mary Jane’s work entered into the international art market, which has taken her message of climate change to the United States, Italy, France and China. She is a signature member of the Artists for Conservation Foundation, and she supports young artists through the Gabriola Elementary School After School Art Program.
Curriculum Vitae
TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2012: Studio Art Centers International Florence (SACI Florence), Florence, Italy. Non-credit summer program, advanced painting.
2002: Emily Carr University, Vancouver, BC. Bachelor of Fine Art, Visual Arts major. Drawing and painting.
1997 – 2000: Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC. First and second year visual arts program.
1995 – 99: Open Learning Agency, Burnaby, BC. First and second year academics.
1991 – 95: Victor Arcega, MFA, Victoria, BC. Privately tutored in painting and colour theory.
1986 – 88: North Island College, Campbell River, BC. Drawing, painting, computer programming.
1978 – 82: Victoria College of Art, Victoria, BC. Visual Art Immersion Program and evening courses.
CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS
2005 & 2009: Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre,
Oceans of Art retreat
2007: An Afternoon with Al Gore. University of Victoria
2007: Guy Dauncey. Global Climate Change.
What Must We do? Gabriola Island, BC
2007: Are we killing the world’s oceans?
A University of Victoria — RSC: The Academies forum
GALLERIES & ASSOCIATIONS
2008 – Current: Artists for Conservation Foundation Signature member
2009 – 10: Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy.
2004: Nanaimo Art Gallery Downtown,
Art rental and sales program.
2002 – 06: Art 10 Gallery, Nanaimo, BC.
Artist run gallery.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2003 – 19: Gabriola Elementary School. Art Club Workshop, volunteer guest artist.
2004 – 2007: Nanaimo Art Gallery, artists in the school program. Tour guide for Downtown and Campus Gallery.
2006: Gallery 223. Nanaimo, BC. Teaching beginners and intermediate acrylic painting
2003 – 05: City of Nanaimo: Parks, Recreation and Culture. The Art of Paint, beginners and intermediate.
2003 – 04: Arts Alive Summer School of the Arts. Children’s classes.
2003 CityScape Community Artspace North Vancouver Arts Council.
One day workshop on Creative Collage Ideas.
EXHIBITIONS
2019, 2021: Artists for Conservation. Virtual exhibition
2019: Artists for Conservation. Lanwan Museum, Qingdao, China
2018: CityScape Community Artspace. North Vancouver Arts Council.
2018: Artists for Conservation. Annual Exhibit and Festival. Vancouver Convention Centre. Exhibit in collaboration with the International Ornithological Congress and the Vancouver International Bird Festival. (I had an artist’s booth to display my work) Participated in the Silent Skies Mural Project for festival
2017: Artists for Conservation. Lanwan Museum, Qingdao, China
2017: Artists for Conservation. VanDusen Botanical Gardens. Annual Exhibit and Festival
2016: Artists for Conservation. Virtual exhibition
2014, 2015: Artists for Conservation. Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA
2013–14: Artists for Conservation. Grouse Mountain Annual Exhibit and Festival
2011: Virtual Science — Art Nature Exhibit. Inspired by the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Washington, DC http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/SAN/Exhibit/AAAS-DC.html
2011: Nanaimo Art Gallery. BC Canada. Crows Revisited.
2010: Inside-Outside. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2010: Hidden Faces. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2010: GAIA Celestial fragments. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2009: Wildlife Art Auction. SVV Eve, Paris, France. Nov. 30. www.auctioneve.com
2009: Regina Di Cuori. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2009: Nature Mutations. Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy. Group Show. www.primopianogallery.com
2009: Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Oceans of Art retreat and art show at Nanaimo Art Gallery. Canadian Federation of Artists.
2008: Momentum. “Living Our Culture” 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada. Curated by Liu Jian. In cooperation with the Shanghai Art Museum and Nanaimo Cultural Capital of Canada.
2005: Evolution. Emily Carr Institute, Vancouver, BC. 80th Anniversary Alumni Show.
2005: Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Oceans of Art retreat and art show at Nanaimo Art Gallery
2003: Borderlands: life at the edge of art. Campbell River & District Public Art Gallery, Campbell River, BC. Curated by Kristen Scholfield-Sweet.
2003: Altered Landscapes. CityScape Community Art Space, North Vancouver, BC.