JANE BARNES
Jane Barnes is the Executive Director of The Big Draw, the World’s Largest Drawing Festival, with additional responsibility for The John Ruskin Prize.
In addition, Jane is an artist, wellbeing specialist and yoga teacher; her work often merging creativity and wellbeing.
Studying Fine Art at University, Jane secured a Tate Fellowship at Tate Liverpool. She was subsequently appointed Curator of MAP, and part of the team that set up a ground-breaking gallery education programme, led by Toby Jackson at Tate Liverpool. In addition, she worked as a member of the Cheshire Arts Advisory Team, under the leadership of painter David Firmstone.
Her experience as a lecturer in further and higher education led her to a variety of management positions, including Director of Visual, Performing Arts and Media. Jane simultaneously grew a freelance artist and consultant portfolio working on initiatives such as: Tate Circuit; Head4arts ’Exhibition in Box – Silences of WW1’; Creative Lives Wales; and the regeneration of the Old Town Hall in Merthyr Tydfil. Jane’s work led her into cultural management and administration as Relationship Manager for Visual and Combined Arts with Arts Council England.
Her work in education and wellbeing has been focused on understanding how an individual thinks and enabling them to achieve their highest potential, enjoying their creative journey and celebrating their individuality.
In her own practice, as an artist, Jane is interested in the transient nature of life contained within image, the emotional imprint and the sense of infinity. In essence, her work is reflective of the organic shapes and curves found within nature, and their morphing physicality imposed by changes in light.
One of the most poignant moments personally and professionally was in January 2020, just before the country was plunged into lockdown: Jane had the privilege of curating her father, Gwyther Barnes’s exhibition, at Cyfathfa Museum. It was his first exhibition in over 65 years, and unintentionally became his swansong, as sadly he died of covid a year later in January 2021.
As part of the Covid Inquiry memorial tapestries, Jane worked with artist Marie Jones on a tapestry about her father’s story: ‘The Important Thing is That You Care’, which can be viewed in the Covid Inquiry Centre and also digitally: https://tapestry.covid19.public-inquiry.uk/the-important-thing-is-that-you-care/