JEAN HESS
Knoxville, Tennessee jeanhess@bellsouth.net
Statement
My vocabulary and palette have been very consistent over time. I am true to an inspiring vision, of light and infinite expansion, that changed my life at age 18. Jung and the mystical poets helped me understand how all this affected my life and work.
Signature elements include: Celestial bodies floating in sky and reflected in water; night skies; luminosity; Aerial perspective; maps and grids; visibly layered imagery including underlying marks; secondary colors such as turquoise, coral, indigo, gold and gray.
I strive to work in a positive, transcendent vein and hope my work brings peace andpleasure, if not surprise, to others. My work is in museums and public collections. I am especially proud that so much of my work is in private homes.
Biography
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, I have lived in many US cities. As with my art, life has been an experiment in embracing what is at hand. To put myself through school, and at times just to keep painting, I have been a telephone operator, computer programmer, insurance claims adjuster, museum gift shop worker, Montessori aide and AMI-certified Montessori teacher, and anthropology museum registrar.
I studied art at Maryland Institute of Art, the University of Maryland, and the University of New Mexico. A BA in art and anthropology from the University of New Mexico, followed by a MA and further field work [ABD] in cultural anthropology at UNM, led to community development work and research for the US Government and major corporations in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Abiquiu, Atlanta, Dallas.
These days I focus on my garden, volunteer for the Master Gardener programthrough the US Extension Service, and continue to experiment with collage paintings, textiles and mixed-media assemblage JEAN HESS: SELECTIVE RESUME
Collections
Evansville Museum of Art, Science and History [Indiana] Huntsville Museum of Art [Alabama] Knoxville Museum of Art [Tennessee] University of Virginia, Health Sciences Center Knoxville Convention Center [site-specific commission] City of ChattanoogaGaylord National Resort & Convention Center – NashvilleNational Data Corporation – Atlanta Farm Credit Administration - Atlanta Canon USA – Atlanta John Portman and Associates – Atlanta [site-specific commission]EBBARC, Inc. - AtlantaPiedmont National Corp. – Atlanta291 Club – AtlantaManning, Selvage and Lee, Inc. – AtlantaBatson, Nolan, Nriace, Williamson & Girsky, PLLC – Clarksville, TN St. Mary’s Hospital Heart Institute – Evansville, IndianaCapital Mark Bank – KnoxvilleArt Department, Eastern Institute of Technology, Napier, New ZealandPatricia Neal, private collection – Martha’s VineyardMarcia Carter Darden, private collection – Los AngelesTeresa Colling, private collection - Fairfax Va.Numerous private collectors in TN, GA,TX, NM, AZ, VA, DC, MD, CO and CA.
Exhibitions
2023
“Personal Search: Small Works” Upstream Gallery. Hastings on Hudson, NY. “Building Reflections: Contemplations in Collage.” Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. “Positive/Negative 38th Annual. ETSU. Juror: Mark Scala, Curator, Frist Museum. “The Healing Power of Hope.” Virginia Tech. Carilion School of Medicine Art Gallery. ”The Cutting Edge: Art of Collage.” Pink Dog Creative Gallery, Asheville, NC
Collage Artists of America. “Pushing Boundaries.” Juror Katherine Chang Liu. CAA. Burbank, CA: Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center. “Repair Reconnect.” Tennessee Triennial. A-1LAB Arts at Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville.
2022
“Matewan as Metaphor.” Solo show at FLOOD Gallery, Black Mountain, NC.
“Night Visions.” Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff AZ.
“Currents: Women Artists from the KMA Collection.” Knoxville Museum of Art.
”13th Annual Drawing Discourse.” University of North Carolina-AshevilleJuror: Catherine Murphy. American Academy of Arts and Letters.
“From These Hills.” William King Museum. Guest-curated by Michael Rooks, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center + SCORE “In the Abstract” Juror Robert Burridge: Fluxus.
2021Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA [solo show “Aboutness”]Alexandria Museum of Art [Lousiana]: juried groupFloyd Art Museum – Virginia [juried group]San Diego Museum of Art [juried group]Idaherma Museum. Third Annual. Tubac Center for the Arts – Arizona [juried group]Maryland Federation of Art, “Art on Paper.” [juried group]Denise Bibro Gallery – NYC [juried group] Association for Visual Arts – Chattanooga [juried group]Collage Artists of America – LA [juried group]National Collage Society small format show [juror’s award]Upstream Gallery – Hastings-On-Hudson NY juried group]Selected PriorEvansville Museum of Art [juried group; museum purchase award Huntsville Museum of Art [solo; juried group; invitational group]Knoxville Museum of Art [3-person]William King Museum – Abingdon, VA [several juried group shows]Callanwolde Fine Arts Center - Atlanta [solo]Clarksville Museum - Tennessee [invitational group]Reese Museum – Johnson City [several juried group shows]Tennessee Arts Commission – Nashville [solo]Hunter Museum – Chattanooga [juror’s award]University of Alabama - Huntsville [solo]University of Tennessee - Knoxville [2-person]University of North Carolina – Asheville [juried group]University of North Carolina – Charlotte [solo]University of Southern Mississippi – Hattiesburg [invitational]University of Mobile – Alabama [juried group]East Tennessee State University [solo; curator for group; several juried group]Maryville College - Tennessee [solo]Medical College of Georgia [juried group]Mississippi State University [juried group]CNN Center – Atlanta [solo]Manifest Creative Research Gallery - Cincinnatti [IPA - catalogue]Art Gallery of Knoxville [solo]Gray Matters Gallery - Dallas [solo]Gardener Gallery - Atlanta [solo; group]Anthony Ardavin Gallery - Atlanta [solo; two invitational group]
Signature elements include: Celestial bodies floating in sky and reflected in water; night skies; luminosity; Aerial perspective; maps and grids; visibly layered imagery including underlying marks; secondary colors such as turquoise, coral, indigo, gold and gray.
I strive to work in a positive, transcendent vein and hope my work brings peace andpleasure, if not surprise, to others. My work is in museums and public collections. I am especially proud that so much of my work is in private homes.
Biography
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, I have lived in many US cities. As with my art, life has been an experiment in embracing what is at hand. To put myself through school, and at times just to keep painting, I have been a telephone operator, computer programmer, insurance claims adjuster, museum gift shop worker, Montessori aide and AMI-certified Montessori teacher, and anthropology museum registrar.
I studied art at Maryland Institute of Art, the University of Maryland, and the University of New Mexico. A BA in art and anthropology from the University of New Mexico, followed by a MA and further field work [ABD] in cultural anthropology at UNM, led to community development work and research for the US Government and major corporations in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Abiquiu, Atlanta, Dallas.
These days I focus on my garden, volunteer for the Master Gardener programthrough the US Extension Service, and continue to experiment with collage paintings, textiles and mixed-media assemblage JEAN HESS: SELECTIVE RESUME
Collections
Evansville Museum of Art, Science and History [Indiana] Huntsville Museum of Art [Alabama] Knoxville Museum of Art [Tennessee] University of Virginia, Health Sciences Center Knoxville Convention Center [site-specific commission] City of ChattanoogaGaylord National Resort & Convention Center – NashvilleNational Data Corporation – Atlanta Farm Credit Administration - Atlanta Canon USA – Atlanta John Portman and Associates – Atlanta [site-specific commission]EBBARC, Inc. - AtlantaPiedmont National Corp. – Atlanta291 Club – AtlantaManning, Selvage and Lee, Inc. – AtlantaBatson, Nolan, Nriace, Williamson & Girsky, PLLC – Clarksville, TN St. Mary’s Hospital Heart Institute – Evansville, IndianaCapital Mark Bank – KnoxvilleArt Department, Eastern Institute of Technology, Napier, New ZealandPatricia Neal, private collection – Martha’s VineyardMarcia Carter Darden, private collection – Los AngelesTeresa Colling, private collection - Fairfax Va.Numerous private collectors in TN, GA,TX, NM, AZ, VA, DC, MD, CO and CA.
Exhibitions
2023
“Personal Search: Small Works” Upstream Gallery. Hastings on Hudson, NY. “Building Reflections: Contemplations in Collage.” Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. “Positive/Negative 38th Annual. ETSU. Juror: Mark Scala, Curator, Frist Museum. “The Healing Power of Hope.” Virginia Tech. Carilion School of Medicine Art Gallery. ”The Cutting Edge: Art of Collage.” Pink Dog Creative Gallery, Asheville, NC
Collage Artists of America. “Pushing Boundaries.” Juror Katherine Chang Liu. CAA. Burbank, CA: Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center. “Repair Reconnect.” Tennessee Triennial. A-1LAB Arts at Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville.
2022
“Matewan as Metaphor.” Solo show at FLOOD Gallery, Black Mountain, NC.
“Night Visions.” Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff AZ.
“Currents: Women Artists from the KMA Collection.” Knoxville Museum of Art.
”13th Annual Drawing Discourse.” University of North Carolina-AshevilleJuror: Catherine Murphy. American Academy of Arts and Letters.
“From These Hills.” William King Museum. Guest-curated by Michael Rooks, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center + SCORE “In the Abstract” Juror Robert Burridge: Fluxus.
2021Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA [solo show “Aboutness”]Alexandria Museum of Art [Lousiana]: juried groupFloyd Art Museum – Virginia [juried group]San Diego Museum of Art [juried group]Idaherma Museum. Third Annual. Tubac Center for the Arts – Arizona [juried group]Maryland Federation of Art, “Art on Paper.” [juried group]Denise Bibro Gallery – NYC [juried group] Association for Visual Arts – Chattanooga [juried group]Collage Artists of America – LA [juried group]National Collage Society small format show [juror’s award]Upstream Gallery – Hastings-On-Hudson NY juried group]Selected PriorEvansville Museum of Art [juried group; museum purchase award Huntsville Museum of Art [solo; juried group; invitational group]Knoxville Museum of Art [3-person]William King Museum – Abingdon, VA [several juried group shows]Callanwolde Fine Arts Center - Atlanta [solo]Clarksville Museum - Tennessee [invitational group]Reese Museum – Johnson City [several juried group shows]Tennessee Arts Commission – Nashville [solo]Hunter Museum – Chattanooga [juror’s award]University of Alabama - Huntsville [solo]University of Tennessee - Knoxville [2-person]University of North Carolina – Asheville [juried group]University of North Carolina – Charlotte [solo]University of Southern Mississippi – Hattiesburg [invitational]University of Mobile – Alabama [juried group]East Tennessee State University [solo; curator for group; several juried group]Maryville College - Tennessee [solo]Medical College of Georgia [juried group]Mississippi State University [juried group]CNN Center – Atlanta [solo]Manifest Creative Research Gallery - Cincinnatti [IPA - catalogue]Art Gallery of Knoxville [solo]Gray Matters Gallery - Dallas [solo]Gardener Gallery - Atlanta [solo; group]Anthony Ardavin Gallery - Atlanta [solo; two invitational group]