Jan Wurm
contemporary art dialogue. Having lived in California, where she received a B.A. from the University of
California, Los Angeles, and Europe, where she received an M.A.R.C.A. from the Royal College of Art
in London, Jan Wurm has honed an eye for social patterns and conventions. She currently divides her
time between Berkeley and L.A. and her hand between drawing and painting.
As an artist, Wurm has been engaged by the familiar and challenged by the unknown.
Her paintings, drawings, and artist's books examine daily life to reveal aspects of contemporary culture
which inform our relationships. This graphic body of work has spanned time and geography in over a
hundred exhibitions in California, New York, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and
Italy. Wurm has been the recipient of five grants from the Center for Cultural Innovation and a
commission from the Del Sol String Quartet funded by Chamber Music America. Infused with warmth,
humor, and an energetic line, these paintings on canvas and mixed media works on paper invite the
viewer to contemplate the moment. Jan Wurm’s work is in collections including the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, New York Public Library Print Collection,
Monterey Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Art, Archiv Verein der Berliner Künstlerinnen,Berlin,
Universität für angewandte Kunst in Vienna, and Tiroler Landesmuseen, Innsbruck.
Wurm taught for University of California, Berkeley's Art and Design Extension Program, ASUC Art
Studio, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Wurm served eight years interviewing and mentoring
Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholars, served the Cal Art Alumni Group organizing and moderating
seven annual symposia, and developed programs for mentoring Alumni Artists. Wurm has juried
exhibitions, been a visiting artist, and lectured extensively for institutions including the Fine Arts
Museums of San Francisco and the Sonoma Valley Art Museum. Wurm organized and facilitated a
Guest Artist Lecture Series for the Berkeley Art Center for five years and is actively engaged in
documenting work of the art community through catalogue and book publications as well as video
recordings.
Past Director of Exhibitions and Curator of Art at the Richmond Art Center, Wurm has authored
exhibition catalogues and curated major exhibitions focused on a humanist tradition. Her projects
included "Closely Considered: Diebenkorn in Berkeley;" "Mildred Howard: Spirit & Matter;" "David Park:
Personal Perspectives" "Mapping the Uncharted;" "Joan Brown: In Living Color;" "Earth, Wind and Fire;"
and "Face Forward: Self-Image & Self-Worth."
On the page or on the canvas, Jan Wurm reflects our times through a visual language forceful and
direct.
Source: https://www.janwurm.com/about
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