Jane Stewart (BA Hons Fine Art 1st, University of Essex) is a visual and community artist based on the Essex coast, her work is rooted in nature, especially the coast, oceans, bodies of water and our relationship to them as coastal communities.

Her focus is on art/science crossover,  using the arts as a way to make academic research available to all. creating small interventions to change ingrained thought processes around consumerism, waste, pollution and the natural environment. 

She used to teach SCUBa diving across the globe, ran a 'reef' teach' programme for children and has been cleaning beaches for 30 years, this life experience and passion for the underwater world has informed her art practice .

Highlights

2024/25: eco youth project funded by culture Essex. working with scientists and young people in coastal communities,  exploring what 'climate change ' means to young people and those with learning disabilities. exploring ways to make change, eco-entrepreneurship, changing futures. 14 workshops, 5 field trips, 3 exhibitions.

2024: 'mapping the colne' river project funded by colchester city council. researching the history and health of the roman river in north essex through a series of public art walks.

2023/2024: Project assistant/curator and evaluator on Heritage lottery funded nature art project at Acorn village, home for people with learning disabilities, project included a new accessible wild garden, apple pressing and archival exhibiiton.

2023: Connecting SHoals exhibition at Art exchange, University of Essex as part of a fishing and marine symposium with scientists from the school of life sciences.

2023: 'our colchester' funded by colchester city council, exploring the city through the eyes of people with mental health and homelessness issues. A multi-sensory exploration of a very different city to that seen by tourists. city centre exhibition.

2022: 'flood' working with a theatre company and futures in mind on a project for people with mental health and addiction issues, examining the 1953 flood and potential for future flooding in coastal communities.

2021:   climate award winner for the work ‘Dead Seas Scroll’ at 'Dear 2050: Oceans on the rise.'  climate change and ocean awareness exhibition at Kunsthalle Zurich