Art Around Saline Artist Spotlight: Jill Stefani Wagner

This is the third in a series on the public outdoor art project, “Art Around Saline,” initiated by the City of Saline Arts & Culture Committee and in collaboration with the Saline Main Street.

“Golden Light” is by Jill Stefani Wagner, and is located on the Grossman Building next to the Farmers’ Market.

 “I knew from a young age that I wanted to be an artist,” notes Wagner.  She began her art career as a watercolorist, but now paints primarily in pastel and oil.  She graduated from University of Michigan Art School and owned an advertising agency in Ann Arbor for 25 years.  Six years ago she became a full-time professional artist.

Wagner belongs to the Pastel Society of America, Great Lakes Pastel Society, Degas Pastel Society, Oil Painters of America, and Ann Arbor Women Artists.  She is currently a visiting artist at WSG Gallery in Ann Arbor, and has work in three other galleries in Michigan.  She gives painting demonstrations and talks on her work as well as programs to help artists with art business and marketing.  Her paintings have been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Pastel Journal, and Practique des Artes.

“Art Around Saline” was initiated by the City of Saline Arts & Culture Committee and is a joint project with the Saline Main Street.   Four large framed prints of art have been installed on the exterior walls of Saline downtown businesses.  5 new art displays will be installed this Fall funded through the Community Tourism Action Plan (CTAP). The CTAP program is a community-oriented tourism marketing and development investment program initiated by the Washtenaw County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The goals of this new and unique project are to enhance and promote public art within the City of Saline, highlight the work of local artists, and increase and enhance pride in the city and its growing art culture.

The City of Saline Arts and Culture Committee and Saline Main Street would like to thank property owners and business managers for their help with installation of this display, Main Street Design Team their participation in the jury process, to Bruce Westlake and Cindy Baxter for frame building, and Bruce Westlake and Ron Ely for installation of the four pieces.

For more information, contact to artaroundsaline@gmail.com  or Riley Hollenbaugh, Executive Director, Saline Main Street at director@salinemainstreet.org.

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