"I believe the collaboration of art and life is the key to unlocking the unlimited potential of the universe"
Jesse Etelson - EcoArtist and Art Educator. 2013 “Honoring the Next Generation” Art and Healing Network Award recipient. 2010 EcoArt South Florida Apprenticeship graduate. 10+ years of teaching experience in Montessori, public K-12 and Adult-Senior Art Ed (Art Therapy). BFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Jesse was mentored by pioneering Ecological Artists, Betsy Damon and Lynne Hull. His multi-media, site-specific works include animals and human residents in restoration of native wildlife habitat, cleaning natural water sources and community rejuvenation. His process is highly collaborative, incorporating arts, journalism, education and science. His workshops are focused on communities most at risk of negative environmental impacts and habitat disruption. His interactive performances/happenings at the restoration sites are documented and exhibited in public spaces, science centers and art galleries.
The “Habitat Sculpture” are curvaceous forms constructed from recycled invasive (non-native) vegetation. They slowly degrade to provide refuge for wildlife while installed native plants grow to maturity. The project sites become outdoor classrooms for years of community engagement while protecting fragile ecosystems and filtering water. Jesse's studio work reflects a more deconstructive side of his EcoArt practice. He appropriates memes and pop culture collage to highlight humanity’s tragically absurd and resilient nature. His ghostly drawings, paintings and sculpture of hollowed tree trunks and gnarled branches conjure dark narratives ironically as the macabre forms become the foundation of his healthy habitats. The natural death and decay needed to spawn new life echo’s themes of synchronicity, balance and harmony.
He is the founding member of Artists for Climate Action and River Justice League. Activist art groups fighting for native habitat, clean water and climate action in South Florida. Especially in his home on the Indian River Lagoon, one of the most Bio-diverse estuaries on earth. Jesse’s mission is to spread joy through art and save endangered ecosystems around the world. Through his projects students/volunteers learn to protect wildlife and restore water quality through bio-filtration. His educational programs enrich community stewardship and provide economic opportunities for sustainable permaculture and eco-tourism.
Inspirations and Education
- Grew up playing in the woods and waters of South Florida's Indian River Lagoon, one of the most bio-diverse estuaries in the world
- Struggled with academics, finding refuge and recoginition in creating art
- BFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design
- EcoArt Treasure Coast apprentice, mentored by pioneering water EcoArtist, Betsy Damon and activist/art historian, Dr. Mary Jo Aagerstoun
- Assistant to pioneering wildlife EcoArtist, Lynne Hull
Innovations and Collaborations
- 2015- Founding member of Artists for Climate Action
- 2013- Founding member and exhibitor at the Love the Everglades Movement Summer Symposium
- 2013-16 EcoArtist in residence, City of Stuart Storm water Management
- 2012-13 Character Designer for GlobHammer Studios, Bushwick, NYC
- 2012- Founding member, organizer and artist for River Justice League
- 2009-14 Martin County Advisory Board member of EcoArt South Florida
- 2009-11 Partnered with Audubon Society ornithologists to construct experimental bird and insect habitats
- 2009-17 Artist in residence at Florida Oceanographic Society Coastal Center
Instructional Experience
- Over 15 years as an Art Educator in Montessori, K-12 Public and Adult Ed
- 2015-16 Director of Storm Drain Mural Artist and Youth Intervention for the HighWaterLine project, Delray Beach2011-12 Mentored High School AP art students in EcoArt theory and practice culminating in a public exhibition
- 2011-13 Teaching Artist with the Center for Creative Education, Palm Beach County
- 2010-13 Facilitated EcoArt workshops with Boys and Girls Clubs of Martin County
- 2009- Director of EcoArt projects in Palm Beach and Martin County
Recognitions
- 2013 Recipient of the Arts and Healing Network Honoring the Next Generation Award
- 2011-12 Women Supporting the Arts Grant Winner
- 1999 SCAD Portfolio Scholarship
Exhibtions
- 2017 SIXTH, “Never too Late” digital collage series, Bridge red Studios, North Miami, FL
- 2016 Artists of the Art Solon, "Inspiration" ceramic, Amory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL
- 2016 New American Patriot, Installation and storm drain mural, The Box Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
- 2016 Art of Sustainability Symposium, Habitat Sculpture, Eastern Florida State College, Palm Bay, FL
- 2015 Blued Trees, Collaborative project with EcoArtist, Aviva Rihmani, Indian River Lagoon, FL
- 2014 What’s the Buzz About, Exhibition of Bee Habitat Sculpture designs, Art on Park, Lake Park, FL
- 2013 The Lounge Series (New Paintings) Martin County Arts Council, Stuart, FL
- 2012 EcoArt Works! Artigras, Jupiter, FL
- 2011 New Works, Cristina de la Vega Gallery, Stuart, FL
- 2010 Living on the Edge, Treasure Coast EcoArt capstone exhibition, Arts Council, Stuart, FL
- 2003 Senior Show, "Never Paint again" college series, Alexander Hall, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA
Speaking Engagements
- 2018 Visiting lecturer for Florida International University's Environmental Art Department, Miami, FL
- 2014 Love the Everglades Summer Symposium, "It takes a village to save our river", Everglades, FL
- 2013 EcoArt in South Florida, Armory Art Salon Series, West Palm Beach, FL
- 2012 Keynote speaker on EcoArt and Social Practice in the Chautauqua South lecture series, Martin County Library, Stuart, FL