Artist Bio
Jess Graham is a Canadian artist and writer based in Tiny Beaches, Ontario. With a professional background in business and entrepreneurship, Jess was an integral part of her family’s business from 2009 to 2024. Although her formal education is rooted in business, her lifelong dedication to creativity, storytelling, and artistic exploration has led her to pursue a full-time career in the arts.
Raised with a deep appreciation for the outdoors, Jess’s connection to nature began through a lifetime spent camping, exploring, and learning firsthand the importance of protecting the landscapes that surround us. Time spent outside shaped not only her love for the natural world, but also her understanding that life feels richer, healthier, and more connected when we make space to slow down and experience it.
Deeply inspired by ecology, conservation, and the small wonders often overlooked, Jess’s work reflects a curiosity about the relationship between humans and the natural world. Her multidisciplinary practice incorporates visual and written storytelling, exploring themes of environmental awareness, conservation, our place within interconnected ecosystems, and the beauty found in the landscapes we share.
Jess continues to develop her practice through ongoing exploration, commissions, and series-based projects that invite curiosity, encourage connection, and celebrate the wild places that inspire us.
Artist Statement
I know first had that reading the right combination of words or seeing a certain combination of colours and visuals, can turn your mind around, make you feel seen and spark something new in you. In a time when it is more important than ever to reconnect to nature and protect all that it stands for, I hope to, in so many ways, create that for people and see where it leads us.
Artist CV
Professional Status
Emerging visual artist based in Tiny, Ontario with an active and evolving independent practice. My work has been publicly presented through exhibitions, public art initiatives, artist markets, and publications, and recognized through juried award finalist exhibitions. I maintain a consistent studio practice and seek opportunities for both public engagement and professional development.
Exhibitions, Public Art & Public Presentation
2026
Exhibitor, Juried Art Show, Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts
Public Art, Collingwood Art on the Street - Banner Design Artwork
2025
Finalist Exhibition, Clerkson Emerging Artist Award, Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts
Exhibitor, One Of a Kind Winter Show
Exhibitor, Collingwood Art Crawl, Collingwood, Ontario
Exhibitor, Honey Bee Festival, Honey Harbour, Ontario (participating artist; annual contributor of original works to the festival’s fundraising auction in support of Georgian Bay Biosphere)
2024
Finalist Exhibition, Clerkson Emerging Artist Award, Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts
Exhibitor, Collingwood Art Crawl, Collingwood, Ontario
Exhibitor, Honey Bee Festival, Honey Harbour, Ontario (participating artist; contributed artwork to fundraising auction supporting Georgian Bay Biosphere)
2023
Exhibitor, One Of a Kind Spring Show
Exhibitor, Honey Bee Festival, Honey Harbour, Ontario (participating artist; contributed artwork to fundraising auction supporting Georgian Bay Biosphere)
2022
Member Exhibition, Quest Gallery, Midland, Ontario
Publications
2024
Illustrations for The Adventures of Theodore the Bear by Michaila Robitaille
2023
Gem’s Unicorn - Self-published children’s book
The Old Lady in the Shed - Self-published children’s book
(Original written and illustrated works exploring narrative, imagination, and emotional storytelling.)
Awards & Recognition
2025
Finalist, Clerkson Emerging Artist Award, Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts
2024
Finalist, Clerkson Emerging Artist Award, Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts
Curatorial & Community Engagement
2023
Curator & Organizer, Art Fundraising Auction in support of a local re-naturalization project
Organized and curated a collaborative exhibition and auction featuring original work alongside local artists, raising funds in support of an environmental initiative. This project fostered community connection through art and collective action.
Professional Development
Self-taught artist engaged in ongoing independent study and hands-on exploration. I actively develop my practice through experimentation across mediums, as well as participation in local gallery workshops and community-based learning opportunities.
Artistic Practice
My work explores storytelling, emotion, and connection to the natural world through visual and narrative forms. Working across illustration, painting, and book-making, I am interested in creating immersive, feeling-driven worlds that invite reflection, curiosity, and a sense of wonder and desire to protect.
Currently exploring abstract painting and committing more to the building of awareness and understanding to valuing artistic expression, the environment and living more intentionally.