Biography
Jessie Demers is a mixed media artist, curator and arts administrator who was raised on Legwungen territory (Victoria, BC). She is of British/Scottish and Norwegian genetic ancestry, and was raised by Dutch, French Canadian and Hungarian parents. Her love of art and connection to nature have guided her path throughout her life.
At age 16 she completed a Diploma in Fine Arts from Victoria College of Art, during which time she also participated in the direct-action movements to protect the ancient forests of Kaxi:ks (Walbran Valley, Pacheedaht Territroy) and Clayoquot Sound (Tla-o-qui-aht Territory). Thirty years later, at the height of the Fairy Creek Blockades in 2021, her two passions came together when she created the Eden Grove Artist in Residence Program and the following year she curated the exhibition Still Standing: Ancient Forest Futures at UVIC's Legacy Gallery. In 2022 she received the Witness Legacy Award for Social Responsibility and Purpose Through Art in recognition of these impact of projects.
Demers completed a BFA from NSCAD University in 2004 and a B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia in 2009. Her curatorial and arts administration work have been her focus for many years, and over the last year she has taken up her studio practice again. Demers' sculptural work has explored static tension and the associated dualities of push/pull, flexibility/rigidity and stress vs. equilibrium. Her recent work explores her identity as an adoptee and the more universal themes of attachment, belonging and embodied memory.
At age 16 she completed a Diploma in Fine Arts from Victoria College of Art, during which time she also participated in the direct-action movements to protect the ancient forests of Kaxi:ks (Walbran Valley, Pacheedaht Territroy) and Clayoquot Sound (Tla-o-qui-aht Territory). Thirty years later, at the height of the Fairy Creek Blockades in 2021, her two passions came together when she created the Eden Grove Artist in Residence Program and the following year she curated the exhibition Still Standing: Ancient Forest Futures at UVIC's Legacy Gallery. In 2022 she received the Witness Legacy Award for Social Responsibility and Purpose Through Art in recognition of these impact of projects.
Demers completed a BFA from NSCAD University in 2004 and a B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia in 2009. Her curatorial and arts administration work have been her focus for many years, and over the last year she has taken up her studio practice again. Demers' sculptural work has explored static tension and the associated dualities of push/pull, flexibility/rigidity and stress vs. equilibrium. Her recent work explores her identity as an adoptee and the more universal themes of attachment, belonging and embodied memory.