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  • ABOUT
    Jess Mara is an Adelaide based Visual Artist. She is a painter/ installation artist with a strong focus on the figure. Her practice centres on ideas of place, identity and the passage of time. In 2006 Jess completed her Bachelor of Visual Art (Honours) at Adelaide Central School of Art. In 2007 she was the recipient of the Hill Smith Gallery / Malaysia Airlines Travel Award, which allowed her to travel to Europe on a professional development trip. Jess actively exhibits with select solo exhibitions including These Four Walls- Floating Goose Studios (2018), Some Place Near, Hill Smith Gallery (2013) and selected group exhibitions Good Mother, Adelaide Central Gallery (2018), nVisage- A Contemporary Portrait Exhibition, Adelaide Central Gallery (2012) New Paintings, BMGArt Gallery (2009) and Hatched, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (2007). Jess has been a recent finalist in the Shirley Hannon National Portrait Award (2018) NSW, The Advertiser Contemporary Art Award SA, The Royal South Australian Society of Arts Portrait Prize (2015), The Prospect Portrait Prize (2016) and The Kennedy Art Prize (2016). Jess lectures at Adelaide Central School of Art teaching in both the Drawing and Painting departments. She has also presented workshops and talks in multiple schools and recently completed a residency at Wilderness School. Jess is a member of Switchboard studios, Norwood. Portrait Commissions are available on request.
  • CV

    b.1983

     

    EDUCATION

    2006        Bachelor of Visual Art (Honours), Adelaide Central School of Art, SA

    2004         New York School of Art Drawing Marathon, Adelaide Central School of Art

     

    SOLO EXHIBITIONS

    2018         These Four Walls, Floating Goose, Adelaide SA

    2013         Some Place Near, Hill Smith Gallery, Adelaide SA

     

    JOINT EXHIBITIONS

    2009         New Paintings, BMG Gallery, Adelaide SA

    2008         The Space Inside, Adelaide Central Gallery, Adelaide SA

     

    SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

    2018          Good Mother, Adelaide Central Gallery, Adelaide,SA

                      The Advertiser Contemporary Art Award Finalist Exhibition, Adelaide, SA

    2017          Kennedy Prize Finalist Exhibition, Adelaide, SA

    2015         Vista, Hill Smith Gallery , Adelaide, SA

    2013         Neck Of The Woods, Adelaide Central School of Art, Adelaide, SA

    2012         NVisage Portrait exhibition Adelaide Central Gallery, Adelaide SA

                      Hatched, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Perth WA

                      Audi Scotch College Art Exhibition, Scotch College, SA

    2002         Fresh, Greenhill Galleries, North Adelaide, SA

     

    RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

    2011-18      (Current) Lecturer- Degree Program teaching Painting and Life Drawing, Adelaide Central School of Art, SA

    2010-18      (Current) Lecturer- Short Course Program, Adelaide Central School Of Art

    2017           Portrait workshops for VAESA (Visual Arts Educators South Australia)

    2012-2018  Artist Talks- Adelaide High Schools, Primary Schools and Pre Schools

                       Portrait Commissions- Private and Corporate

    2013           Artist  Residency at Wilderness School, Medindie, SA

    2009- 14     Gallery Assistant- Flinders University City Gallery, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA

    2007           Hill Smith Gallery/ Malaysia Airlines Travel Award ( Europe professional development trip)

    2003-05      Artist in School Teaching Marryatville High School, Kensington. SA

     

    COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS

    2014           Commissioned live large scale installation drawing for Drawing Month, Adelaide Central School of Art

    2006           Border Crossing Trip -Collaborative Print Project, Melbourne, Funded by the Helpmann

                      Academy

    2004           SALA Guerrillas- performance/ installation piece, Heathfield High School, commissioned by SALA

     

    AWARDS AND GRANTS

    2018           Finalist in the Shirley Hannon National Portrait Award 2018, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW

                       Project Grant, Adelaide Central School of Art

                       Finalist- The Advertiser Contemporary Art Award, SALA

    2017           Finalist- The Prospect Portrait Prize, SA

                       Finalist- The Kennedy Art Prize, SA

    2015           Finalist- Royal South Australian Society of Arts -Portrait Prize

    2013           Arts SA Independent Makers and Presenters Project Grant

    2007           Hill Smith Gallery/ Malaysia Airlines Travel Award

                      Travel Grant- Funded by the Helpmann Academy

    2006           Overall Winner 2006- Paradise Motors Art Prize, Cathedral Art Exhibition

    2006           Full Scholarship, Adelaide Central School of Art

    2005           Overall Winner 2005- Paradise Motors Art Prize, Cathedral Art Exhibition

    2002,04,05 Half Scholarships 2004 and 2005, Adelaide Central School of Art.

     

    ARTICLES/REVIEWS/INTERVIEWS

    2018          Feast Your Eyes- Listed as one of  7 exhibitions to catch in the Festival Season, The Adelaide Review,

                      Jane Llewellyn and John Neylon Feb27, 2018

    2010          Interview on Arts and About- Portraiture, Radio Adelaide, Alicia Moraw and Eleanor

                    Scicchitano, March 23

    2009          A Chance to Shine for Promising Trio, Tim Lloyd, The Advertiser, Jan 28

                    United in Contemplation, Jena Woodburn, The Independent Weekly, Issue 37 Feb

    2007         The Big One Has Arrived 2007 Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition, John Neylon,

                      The Adelaide Review, March

    2002          Creative approach to the art of business Patrick McDonald, The Advertiser, June

     

     

     

     

    MEMBERSHIP/STUDIO

    2011-2018 (Current) Member of Switchboard Studios, Norwood, SA

    2007-10     Member of TwinBEE Studio, St Peters. SA

     

     

  • PRESS
    sliuzas. a (2013). "neck of the woods". the thousands.com. 20 June 2013.