M.A. Human Ecology Student– Material Culture, ongoing
B.F.A – Painting, Concordia University, Montreal, 1987
D.E.C. – Painting & Creative Writing, Vanier College, 1982
Curriculum Vitae
Jill Thomson
Education
Galleries + Collections
Gibson Fine Art Gallery, Calgary; AGA Art Rental and Sales Gallery; Art on Ninth – Invermere, Alberta Foundation for the Arts; Edmonton City Hall; Misericordia Hospital; national and international private collections
Juried Exhibitions + Events
Urban Tapestry: A Trio of Views Kari Duke, Jill Thomson, and Sarah Kidner, Gibson Fine Art Gallery, Calgary, 2024
Awarded Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal by MLA Rachel Notley for lifetime dedication to the arts; leadership within the community; mentorship and volunteerism and advocacy for the arts. 2023
Intergenerational Community Garden Mural and Painting Canterbury Foundation, 2022
Resurgence Trust, Living Cities, UK publication, Nov/Dec issue 2021
Women X Women, Alberta Foundation for the Arts TREX Travelling exhibition, 2021
AGA Art on the Block, 2024 2021, 2020
Alberta Cultural Days, Urban Gardens by Jill Thomson, Northlands Urban Garden, Edmonton, 2020
Gibson Fine Art, “Main Street Views”, 2020
AGA Art Rental - Small works sale 2019, 2018
Feature Artist - Kaleido Festival, The Carrot Community Coffee House 2019
AGA Art on the Block, 2019, 2024
AGA Art Rental and Sales, “Meet the Artist”, 2019
AGA Feature Artist Blog, 2019
Gibson Fine Art, Featured Artist, 2017
Gibson Fine Art Holiday Show, 2018
Recent artwork by Jill Thomson and Sara Norquay, The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse, 2017
Gibson Fine Arts, Summer Group Show, 2016
Jill Thomson Artwork Open Studios, House Concerts and theatre events from home studio, 2004 - 2020
AGA Art Rental and Sales Gallery presents: Artworks by Pierre Bataillard and Jill Thomson, July/August, 2016
Dream City, Rivne International Film Festival, “Heritage Quarter” collaborative video
Projection selected for competition and screening at Festival in the Ukraine, 2016
Hinckley Opera Festival, Film Short projection of “Heritage Quarters” in the UK, 2016
Strathcona Neighbourhood, Commissioned Painting for former Premier Rachel Notley, Premier’s office, Alberta Legislature and now hangs in her office in the Federal Building, 2016
Nest Tree Confidences, Curator and Artist-group exhibition, Skirtsafire Multidisciplinary Arts Festival, Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts, 2014
This mural was painted by Jill Thomson and was the result of a collaborative arts-based research project at the University of Alberta that involved art workshops and an illustrated film lead by Dr. Megan Strickfaden. Artwork created in the workshops by residents, researchers and staff is featured in a banner at the base of the mural.
This mural was created in consultation with the Canterbury Foundation, the Laurier Heights community and city councilor Sarah Hamilton.
The mural was painted as an oil painting that was installed in Canterbury and was reproduced as a large-scale mural on the exterior wall of the newly built Heights for Canterbury and the Laurier Heights community.
Public Art Projects
Intergenerational Community Garden Painting and Mural
Alleyway Mural featuring nine artworks by Jill Thomson up two sides of an alley between Nina Haggerty and The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse. A joint project of Arts on the Avenue, AABA, City of Edmonton Ave Initiative, Neighbourhood Empowerment Team, October, 2013
Worked with Arts on the Ave and the Edmonton Police through their revitalization initiatives to bring art into an identified hotspot for crime on Alberta Ave. The location is now established as “Jazz Alley” an event venue for Kaleido and Deep Freeze festivals with a stage and café style tables.
Alberta Ave Alley Project
Collaborative video projection project with three operas performed in painting brought to life digitally by Guru Digital. With Darcia Parada of Mercury Opera, Owen Brierley of Guru Digital Arts and Wolf Willow Sound, through a grant from the Edmonton Heritage Council, Premiered through Boyle Street Projections, 2013
“Heritage Quarter” was shown at the Dream City, Rivne International Film Festival 2018
The projection was also selected for competition and screened at Festival in the Ukraine, 2016 and at the Hinckley Opera Festival, Film Short projection of “Heritage Quarters” in the UK, 2016
Heritage Quarter: A New Vision for an Urban Landscape
Cofounder - 2019 to present
Advocacy for Artists from all disciplines across Alberta with outreach campaigns recognizing and promoting the importance of the Arts.
Art Boards and Volunteering
Alberta Arts Action
Board member 2013-2014
Vice President, 2015
Curator of Visual Arts Exhibit, 2014
Skirtsafire Multidisciplinary Women’s Arts Festival
Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts
Unfolding Neighbourhood project
Project Lead and painting instructor towards exhibition with the Collective Collaborative artwork permanently installed in Alberta Ave Community Centre