The origins of my work lie in observing the world and taking note of visual elements which I find worthy of further consideration. I look with intensity at subjects that intrigue me, and try to portray them in a way that allows them to become symbolic, metaphorical, or provocative in some way. I hope to urge people to see familiar objects in new ways or to simply see what is ordinarily overlooked. In the process of careful observation I often take an object out of its environment or normal context. This allows me to focus on the form, rather than the function, and often leads me to find the soul of an inanimate object.
RECENT NEWS
- Best of Show Award, Ann Arbor Art Center All Media Show, September 7 - October 21, 2012, Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI
- Exhibit - Mixed Messages, October 6 - 31, 2012, Water Street Gallery, Douglas, MI
- Exhibit - August 11 - October 28, 2012 - Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Upcoming Exhibit - Urban Intersection, October 25 - November 25, 2012, Quidley & Company Fine Art, Boston, MA
- Upcoming Exhibit - Group Show, Hall Spassov Gallery, Bellevue, WA
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Feature Article - "In the Bag" in July/August issue of The Artist's Magazine
- Featured in Maîtres du Pastel (Masters of Pastel) 2011 - Diverti Editions, Naintré, France, 2011
RESUME
EDUCATION
- 1988 - M.F.A. in Medical Illustration, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1976 - M.F.A. in Painting, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1973 - B.A. in Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
AWARDS
- 2012 - Best of Show, Ann Arbor Art Center All Media Show, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2011 - First Place, Great Lakes Small Works, Riverside Art Center, Ypsilanti, MI
- - Honorable Mention, Silver Medal Exhibition, Scarab Club, Detroit, MI
- 2010 - People's Choice Award, Univ. of Mich. School of Art and Design Alumni Exhibition, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2009 - Purchase Award, Pastel Society of America 37th Annual Exhibition, New York, NY
- - Artist in Residence, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, CA
- - Artist in Residence, Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Red Wing, MN
- 2008 - Elected as Master Pastelist, Pastel Society of America, New York, NY
- - Pastel Painters of Maine Award, Pastel Society of America 36th Annual Exhibition, New York, NY
- 2007 - Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, New York, NY
- - Fourth Place, Pastel Society of New Mexico National Pastel Exhibition, Albuquerque, NM
- - Honorable Mention, Mid-America Pastel Society, Albrecht-Kemper Art Museum, St. Joseph, MO
- - Fourth Place Still Life, The Pastel 100 Competition, The Pastel Journal
- 2006 - Second Place, The Pastel National, Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
- - Pearl Kalikow Award, Pastel Society of America, 34th Annual Exhibition, New York, NY
- - Finalist, Artist's Magazine 23rd Annual Competition
- - Artist in Residence, Jentel Arts, Banner, WY
- - Artist in Residence, Ucross Foundation, Clearmont, WY
- 2005 - Silver Award, Great Lakes Pastel Society, Carnegie Center for the Arts, Three Rivers, MI
- - Third Place Still Life, The Pastel 100 Competition, The Pastel Journal
- - Fifth Place, Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Birmingham, MI
- - Windsor/Newton Award, Pastel Society of the West Coast, San Luis Obispo, CA
- - Finalist, Artist's Magazine 22nd Annual Competition
- - Artist in Residence, Hall Farm, Townshend, VT
- - Artist in Residence, Blue Mountain Center, Blue Mountain Lake, NY
- 2004 - Finalist, Artist's Magazine 21st Annual Competition
- - Artist in Residence, Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Red Wing, MN
- 2003 - Purchase Award, Pastel Society of America, 31st Annual Open Exhibition, New York, NY
- - Dick Blick Award, Pastel Society of America, 31st Annual Open Exhibition, New York, NY
- - Third Place, Migraine Masterpieces, National Headache Foundation, Chicago, IL
- - Honorable Mention Portrait, The Pastel 100 Competition, The Pastel Journal
- 2001 - Third Place, Michigan Artists Competition, Washington Street Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1998 - Honorable Mention, Washington Society of Portrait Artists Competition, Washington D.C.
- 1996 - Juror's Award, Future Perfect/Future Imperfect, Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1995 - First Place, Michigan Drawings '95, Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
- 1987 - National Competitive Scholarship, Society for Technical Communication
- 1986 - Gerald P. Hodge Scholarship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- - Rackham Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- - Continuing Education of Women Scholarship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1977 - Honorable Mention, 10th Michigan Painters Exhibition, Lansing, MI
- - Purchase Award, 11th Dulin National Print and Drawing Competition, Knoxville, TN
EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibitions
- 2010 - Thanks For Shopping Here, River Gallery, Chelsea, MI
- 2009 - In Praise of Physical Labor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2008 - Pastels on Paper: Recent Work, River Gallery, Chelsea, MI
- 2007 - Machine and Tool Portraits, Holland Area Arts Council, Holland, MI
- 2005 - The Mechanical World: Paintings Inspired by Machines and Tools, River Gallery, Chelsea, MI
- 2004 - From the Scientific to the Subjective, Daughtrey Gallery, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
- 2001 - Medicine into Art, Vincennes University, Vincennes, IN
- 1981 - Recent Paintings, Vincennes University, Vincennes, IN
- 1979 - Drawings by Jaye Schlesinger, Michigan Union Gallery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1978 - Drawings by Jaye Schlesinger, Adrian College, Adrian, MI
Selected Invitational Group Exhibitions
- 2012 - Mixed Messages, Water Street Gallery, Douglas, MI
- - Urban Intersection, Quidley & Company, Boston, MA
- - Group Show, Hall Spassov Gallery, Bellevue, WA
- - Group Show, M. A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK
- 2011 - First Impressions, Water Street Gallery, Douglas, MI
- - Artifacts, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, MI
- - Contemporary Realism, M. A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK
- - Small Works Group Show, M. A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK
- - University of Michigan School of Art and Design Alumni Show, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2010 - Wordage, Detroit Artists Market Gallery, Detroit, MI
- - Still Lifes, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
- - Contemporary Realism, M. A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa OK
- - Art on the House, Capitol Building, Lansing, MI
- - University of Michigan School of Art and Design Alumni Show, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2009 - Personal Territory, David Klein Gallery, Birmingham, MI
- - Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
- - Group Show, M. A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK
- 2008 - The Fine Art of Drawing, Museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
- - Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
- - Contemporary Realism, M. A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa OK
- - Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
- 2007 - Contemporary Realism, M. A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa OK
- 2006 - Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
- 2005 - What Needs to Be Retrieved: The Marriage of Tools, Art, & History, Davistown Museum, Liberty, ME
- 2004 - Drawings of Places, Tabor Hill Art Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2003 - The Pastel Palette, Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2002 - Dance of Chaos and Order, Biegas Gallery, Detroit, MI
- 1998 - Secret Spaces of Childhood, Residential College, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- - Recent Works, Group Show, Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1997 - Reconcilable Differences, Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson, MI
- 1984 - Invitational Drawing Show, Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
- 1979 - Drawings by Michigan Artists, Jesse Beser Museum, Alpena, MI
Selected Juried Exhibitions
- 2012 - Ann Arbor Art Center All Media Show, Ann Arbor, MI
- - Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
- - Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, MI
- 2011 - Great Lakes Small Works, Riverside Art Center, Ypsilanti, MI
- - Silver Medal Exhibition, Scarab Club, Detroit, MI
- 2010 - Pastel Society of America 38th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
- - Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, MI
- - Pastel National, Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
- 2010 - Pastel Society of America 38th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
- - Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, MI
- - Pastel National, Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
- 2009 - Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, MI
- - ArtPrize, Grand Rapids, MI
- - Pastel Society of America, 37th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
- 2008 - Pastel Society of America, 36th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
- - Great Lakes Pastel Society National Exhibition, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
- - Gold Medal Exhibition, Scarab Club, Detroit, MI
- - Ann Arbor Art Center, All Media Show, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2007 - Pastel Society of America, 35th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
- - Mid-America Pastel Society, National Exhibition, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, St. Joseph, MO
- - The Print, Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI
- - In Praise of Physical Labor, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
- - Pastel Society of New Mexico, National Pastel Exhibition, Albuquerque, NM
- 2006 - Contemporary American Realism, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
- - The Pastel National, Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
- - Pastel Society of America, 34th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
- - Great Lakes Drawing Biennial, Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
- - Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, MI
- - Anthropomorphism, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
- 2005 - Contemporary Realism 2005, Cavalier Gallery, New York, NY
- - Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, MI
- - Pastel Society of America, 33rd Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
- - Great Lakes Pastel Society, Carnegie Center for the Arts, Three Rivers, MI
- - Pastels U.S.A, Pastel Society of the West Coast, San Luis Obispo Art Center, San Luis Obispo, CA
- 2004 - Great Lakes Drawing Biennial, Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
- - The Pastel National, Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
- - Pastels U.S.A, Pastel Society of the West Coast, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA
- 2003 - Pastel Society of America, 31st Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
- - Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, 8th Annual Exhibition, Creative Arts Center, Chatham MA
- - Migraine Masterpieces, National Art Competition, National Headache Foundation, Chicago, IL
- - Viridian Artists, 14th Annual Juried Exhibition, Viridian Gallery, New York, NY
- - Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, MI
- 2001 - Michigan Artists Competition, Washington Street Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1998 - Portraits Only, Washington Society of Portrait Artists International Competition, Washington, D.C.
- - Michigan Drawing Biennial, Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
- 1997 - Jackson Area Show, Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson, MI
- 1995 - Michigan Drawings '95, Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
- 1981 - Michigan Artists, Southeast Region, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1978 - Works on Paper, 77th Exhibition by Artists of Chicago and Vicinity, Art Institute of Chicago, IL
- 1977 - Drawing in Detroit, Detroit Artists Market Gallery, Detroit, MI
- - 11th Dulin National Print & Drawing Competition, Dulin Gallery of Art, Knoxville, TN
- - National Drawing and Small Sculpture Show, Kutztown State College, Kutztown, PA
- - 18th Annual Mid-Michigan Show, Midland Center for the Arts, Midland MI
- - Spokane National Print Competition, Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum, Spokane, WA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- - "In the Bag" by Lisa Wurster-Dolan, The Artist's Magazine, July/August 2012
- - Maîtres du Pastel 2011 - Diverti Editions, Naintré, France, 2011
- - Strokes of Genius 3 - by Rachel Wolf, North Light Books, 2011
- - American Arts Quarterly, Gallery Henoch presents Still Lifes, Winter 2010
- - Urban Tableau: Pastelist Jaye Schlesinger turns the page on her still life career to reveal poised and polished street scenes - by Sarah Strickley, The Pastel Journal, August, 2010
- - Strokes of Genius 2 - by Rachel Wolf, North Light Books, 2009
- - The Fine Art of Drawing - Museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 2008
- - Pure Color: The Best of Pastel - by Maureen Bloomfield and James A. Markle, North Light Books, 2006
- - Contemporary American Realism - Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN, 2006
- - Mechanical World paintings show cockeyed view of human life - by John Carlos Cantu, The Ann Arbor News, Nov. 19, 2005
- - What Needs To Be Retrieved: The Marriage of Tools, Art and History - Davistown Museum, Liberty, ME, June 2005
- - Jaye Schlesinger: Directing her attention not to flowers and fruits but to industrial objects and tools, this artist reimagines the still life - by Michael Chesley Johnson, The Pastel Journal, Feb. 2005
- - The Artist's Magazine Limited Edition Calendar - F + W Publications, Inc., 2005
- - Drawings trace wide range of ideas in charcoal pencil, graphite - by John Carlos Cantu, The Ann Arbor News, Feb. 15, 2004
- - Guest artist explores forms of realism - by Elliot Wild, The Hillsdale Collegian, Feb. 5, 2004
- - Pastel artists offer introduction - by John Carlos Cantu, The Ann Arbor News, September 14, 2003
- - Michigan Quarterly Review - Secret Spaces of Childhood: Negotiating Boundaries, Regenerating Ruins, by Margaret Price, University of Michigan, 2000
- - Nine magic number at Washtenaw Community College - by John Carlos Cantu, The Ann Arbor News, May 23, 1998
- - Realism in, abstract out at EMU show - by John Carlos Cantu, The Ann Arbor News, Dec. 3, 1995
- - Drawings by Michigan Artists - Jesse Besser Museum, Alpena, MI, 1981