MONROE, Mich. – Monroe County Community College will host a lecture and month-long public display by Pastel Society of America Master Pastelist Jill Stefani Wagner, whose watercolor and pastel paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the U.S. and are included in numerous corporate and private collections.
The lecture will take place on Oct. 24 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Room 173bcd of the Audrey M. Warrick Student Services/Administration Building on MCCC’s Main Campus.
In addition, Wagner’s work will be on public display from Oct. 23-Nov. 21 in the MCCC Library, which is located in the Campbell Learning Resource Center on the college’s Main Campus at 1555 S. Raisinville Rd., Monroe.
Both the lecture and the display are free and open to the public.
The MCCC Library is open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday.
Samples of Wagner’s work can be found on her website at www.jillwagnerart.com.
Eleven of Wagner’s paintings have been accepted into the prestigious International Association of Pastel Societies Exhibits, and she has been honored with multiple awards from the Pastel Society of America. The Pastel Society of North Florida recently honored her with Best of Show Award during its national exhibit. Pastel Journal Magazine has awarded her with five honorable mentions in its Pastel 100 Shows, and she has been juried into various Great Lakes Pastel Society National competitions and annual Michigan Watercolor Society exhibitions.
Wagner has mounted solo exhibitions at the University of Michigan, University of Michigan Health System, the River Gallery and Pfizer Corporate headquarters.
In 2016, one of Wagner’s paintings appeared on the cover of Plein Air magazine. Fine Art Connoisseur magazine highlighted Jill’s artwork and career in a 2012 article titled “Today’s Masters, Artists Making their Mark.” That same year, Pastel Journal included her pastel paintings in an article on art inspired by travel, and the best-selling French magazine Practique des Arts highlighted her skyscapes.
In Michigan, her work is represented by the River Gallery in Chelsea, Tvedten Fine Art in Harbor Springs, J. Petter Galleries in Saugatuk, WSG Gallery in Ann Arbor and The Gallery in Saginaw.
In addition to the Pastel Society of America, she belongs to Degas Pastel Society, Great Lakes Pastel Society, Oil Painters of America, Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association and Ann Arbor Women Artists.
Wagner was born in Port Huron. She earned a bachelor of fine arts from the University of the University of Michigan’s School of Art and was the owner and creative director of an award-winning advertising and graphic design firm in Ann Arbor before becoming a full-time artist.
Her public display at MCCC is part of the college’s 2016-17 Campus/Community Events Season Visiting Artist Series. The season is sponsored by MCCC, The Foundation at MCCC, La-Z-Boy Inc., DTE Energy Foundation, Monroe Bank & Trust and Consumers Energy.
About Monroe County Community College
Founded in 1964, Monroe County Community College is a public, two-year institution supported by tax monies from Monroe County, educational funds from the State of Michigan and student tuition.
The college’s mission is to enrich and transform lives by providing opportunities and excellence in higher education. The Main Campus is located at 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe, Mich., 48161, with easy access to Toledo and Detroit. The Whitman Center is located at 7777 Lewis Ave.,Temperance, Mich., 48182, near the Ohio-Michigan Border. Detailed information about MCCC is available at www.monroeccc.edu.