Artist Biography
Jan Denton has a Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration from the Corcoran College of Art + Design and the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. She co-produced Botanical Treasures of Lewis & Clark, an exhibit of original works displayed at the Corcoran Gallery of Art from May 19 through July 9, 2006. Five of her paintings were included in this bicentennial celebration, which featured contributions by 25 artists.
From 2001 to 2007 Ms. Denton exhibited her work each November in the studio of Carol Press, a weaver on Capitol Hill, as part of a popular gathering under the rubric of A Brush with the Loom. In recent years, following her move from Washington to Santa Fe, she has been invited to show her work in a number of other venues, among them the Greenberg Fine Arts gallery on Canyon Road. Ms. Denton has produced a number of paintings for commission, and is equally adept with oil and watercolor. Her style is realistic, with primary emphasis on botanical subjects and still-life arrangements.
Before she became a full-time artist, Ms. Denton devoted her talents to political affairs, administration, and lobbying. She began her career in state government in California shortly after she earned a B.A. in Fine Arts from California State University, Sacramento. Among other things, she headed the state’s influential Department of Conservation during the first administration of Governor Jerry Brown. After she moved to the Nation’s Capital in 1989, she helped establish the California Institute for Public Policy Research. She then took a position with Chambers Associates, where she represented California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction and served as Executive Director of the American Arts Alliance, a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving the National Endowment for the Arts and increasing federal support for cultural programs.
Ms. Denton serves on the board of the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA), and is an active member of ArtTable, Inc. and the Oil Painters of America. She conducts tours at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and supports the work of such organizations as the Native Plant Society of New Mexico, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, and the Santa Fe Garden Club.
March 2011