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?Raised on the outskirts of Toronto, Jill Price's mixed media approach is a true reflection of the numerous rich experiences she had growing up and during her travels as an adult.  Mark making from a very early age, one of Jill's father's first memories of her creative spirit was finding large black marker drawings on freshly painted walls in the apartment they were moving into. 

"They were still moving boxes up from the car", Jill giggled.  Jill also remembers drawing into 

sand and with fire lit branches around the weekend fires at their family campsite.  

"I don't remember ever having any formal art materials given to me, but I do recall that I was
always creating images andspaces.  Sticks were my main tools for carving out text, signs,
and symbols and sand and snow were the sculptural materials I used to create the
architecture and figures that inform most of our childhoods.  When I really think about it, I actually created more in 3D as a child, with lego, blankets and empty shoe boxes being transformed into Saturday morning forts and 2 storeyhouses for dolls or the lastest toad or catepillar collected."

Although taking art courses all throughout her high school years, Price was known as more of an athelete amongst her peers, relatives and teachers. All were quite shocked to learn that she would be applying to fine art programs across the province.  Price recalls, "I don't remember doing overly well within my art class, a low A at best, but it was more the symbolic imagery identified both in films and English literature during my teens that inspired me to pursue further arts education. I was enthralled with the books of Margaret Atwood and two successful illustrated children book assignments reflected my joy for working with the narrative."

Finally choosing to study at the University of Western Ontario, Jill specialized in printmaking and drawing, receiving excellent instruction and mentoring from nationally recognized artists Helmut Becker, Kim Moodie, Wyn Geleynse, Sheila Butler, the late Colette Urban, David Merritt, Patrick Mahon and Duncan DeKergommeaux.  Jill also had the privilege of taking curatorial studies with Barbara Fischer, now the director/chief curator of the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery at the University of Toronto. Jill shares, "University was an amazing time of material and thematic exploration.  I still blush and laugh out loud when thinking of some of the performances that took place in the hallways and studios at Western.  Through the typical explorations of identity that happen at this point in an artist's life, I once again found myself working with the narrative by investigating the transitioning roles and behaviour or woman against the mythical stories of ancient greek and roman godesses.  This began my journey as a mixed media artist and reflection on how my personal story has been informed by all that which has come before me." 

University is where Price also began her career in arts administration and curating.  Taking on the role as the student gallery manager in her last year, Jill began to develop the necessary skills to organize and operate a working gallery.  This experience as well as her passion for the work of other artists also led to her working as an arts writer and administrator for many years while living in London, Ontario.  Starting off as an arts writer for Scene , Jill's insight into the work of others quickly resulted in an invite to work as the Visual Arts Programmer at the Forest City Gallery, Canada's first official artist-run centre, where she ended up being hired as their Director in addition to her volunteer role as curator. After taking leave for a year to live in Petawawa, Ontario, Jill returned to London where she acquired several more contracts in partnership with arts organizations.  Working as a program coordinator for a partnership between the three public art galleries and also working as the Interim Director of the London Arts Council, where she helped administer the Council's undertaking of the City granting program, Jill acquired invaluable experiences from the business end of the art world. 

Although immersed in the London art scene for more than a decade, it wasn't until after meeting her mother's birth mother; a painter residing near Syracuse, NY, that Price began to focus more on her own practice. Years of administering other great others had drained her of the energy and confidence to make work of her own. Her encounter with "Betty" would change her path forever.

"Meeting my biological grandmother for the first time was eye opening. We had kind of lived parallel lives, both married to pilots, both waitressing to make ends meet and then there was our passion. To witness a woman in her early seventies fearless of what others thought was truly inspiring. Each day she headed to her basement to paint whatever she felt like painting. She didn't question her ability, knowledge or choices.  She just created because she had to. This was when I knew I had to get back to my own work."

Now in private & corporate collections, Jill's work has been purchased by the Bank of Montréal and recently represented Canada at the World Art Games Conference in Turkey in 2012.  Outside of her practice, she continues to use her Visual Arts Specialist qualifications and curatorial experience working as the Curator / Education Officer at Quest Art School + Gallery in Midland, Ontario.  Jill also works as part-time faculty in the Art & Design Fundamentals Program at Georgian College.