Jessica Martin is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Northern California. Her work explores our relationship to nature, time, and joy.
Jessica studied Anthropology at Vassar College and did her field work in Madagascar and France. She received her MA at California College of the Arts. Jessica has been Artist in Residence for Google, and her work has been shown throughout the Bay Area and abroad, including Amelie Maison Paris, Headlands Center for the Arts, Southern Exposure, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, Traywick Contemporary, Pro Arts, The Lab, the diRosa Preserve, New Langton Arts, and national film festivals. She has been a guest on Full Expression Podcast and co-hosted the Headspace Podcast to talk about creativity as a tool for life. Her work has been awarded grants from the NAEA, Creative Sonoma, and California Arts Council. In 2022, she created the viral hotline of kids life advice called Peptoc. It received over 10 million calls in its first 9 months, and continues to get thousands of calls today (call 707-8-PEPTOC!).
In addition to her studio work, Jessica is the founder and director of Roving Venue (RV), an itinerant gallery that produces innovative community-based public art projects in rural Sonoma County. Projects include a pie parade, sound tours, large scale puppet performances, building projections, and a box car regatta with rolling art sculptures.
Jessica is also the lead teaching artist and arts program curator for West Side Elementary, a small K-6th public school in rural Healdsburg, CA (home of the Peptoc hotline!).
For more information about Jessica’s work, go to www.JessicaMartinArt.com or to Instagram at @jessicamartinart.
For sample art projects for West Side Elementary, go to
https://westsideartprogram.wixsite.com/mysite
JESSICA MARTIN www.JessicaMartinArt.com @jessicamartinart.com
EDUCATION
2006 MA California College of the Arts
2001 BA in Anthropology, Vassar College
2000 Art History, La Sorbonne, Paris
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2022
Google, Artist in Residence mural commission
Legion Projects, solo show
Harmon House, “Histories/Futures” five 35ft temporary murals on 3 floors of hotel
Studio Miracolo/ Amelie Maison d’Art, Paris—Éditions Limitées
2021
Legion Projects, “Jessica Martin and Patrick Rhodes”
Legion Projects, “Something to Look Forward To” group show and custom mural
2020
Voices project, Healdsburg (public murals and kinetic installation)
Amelie Maison d’Art, Paris, “Miracolo”
2019
Roving Venue, “Subject-Object” group show
Roving Venue, “The Mill” group show
2017
Upside Dance Company. “Anatomy of Happiness” presentation and screening of film, “I Wish I Could Fly”
2016
“Out Here” Performance and Installation, Healdsburg, CA
2015
Mendocino Film Festival. "Friends, Food, Land" film screening
428collective– Friends, Food, Land: a collaborative film and book project with Flora Skivington for the 428CSA
2014
West Coast Craft, San Francisco– Jessica Martin and Victoria Wagner: new work
TedX Sonom–Risk or Dream interactive installation and film screening of "I Wish I Could Fly"
428collective–Dear Things: an interview and book project for 428CSA
2013
Studio Blomster, Guerneville–Everything Possible Everything Yours: new work by Jessica Martin
Gallery Lulo, Healdsburg–Summits: Jessica Martin
Perdita Productions, Geyserville: Falling Dark
2012 Studio428–Product
2010
Slate Contemporary– After All We’ve Done: Recent Work by Jessica Martin
Traywick Contemporary, Berkeley–2D/3D
ProArts, Oakland– Concept+Craft
Southern Exposure, San Francisco–Monster Drawing Rally
The Affordable Art Fair, New York
2009
Slate Art, Oakland–Jessica Martin: Recent Painting and Sculpture
Gump’s, San Francisco–Pearl, curated by Natasha Boas
The Affordable Art fair, New York
Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek–Working in Wax
2008
Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito–Close Calls
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art– Monotype Marathon
Affordable Art Fair, New York
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art–Crater Bay Area
The Drawing Center, New York–Online Viewing Program
2007
New Langton Art–group exhibit
Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose
Di Rosa Preserve Museum, Sonoma–3×3
Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose– Monoprint Marathon
Sonoma County Museum, Santa Rosa– group
Davis Art Museum, Davis University, CA–group
2006
The Lab, San Francisco– The Postcard Show
Sopa Fine Art, British Columbia– Elemental
2005
Triple Base Gallery, San Francisco—White Box
Southern Exposure, San Francisco–The Unexpected in Public Space (collaborative)
2002
Andrea Schwartz Gallery, San Francisco
2001
Blue Shield, Sacramento–mural commission
PUBLIC PROJECTS AND EVENTS
2022
Creator of the viral public art hotline project, Peptoc (peptoc.net)
Flying Goat Coffee—10ft x 65ft exterior mural and two 20ft interior wall murals
Acre Pizza—5 interior murals
2021- 10ftx24ft exterior mural for Legion Projects, Healdsburg
2020
Project curator, organizer, and artist for Voices, Healdsburg, an 8-month series of large-scale interactive public art programs with over 15 artists for the city of Healdsburg, CA. Personal projects include two kinetic light installations, www.artinhealdsburg.com
2019-present
Founder, Roving Venue. Principal curator and lead artist for site-specific public art events. www.rovingvenue.org
2019
Endangered Animals March. A collaboration with students at West Side Elementary, featuring a march of 185 puppets of different endangered species, staged in public streets and displayed at Healdsburg Center for the Arts.
2010-present
Co-founder, 428 Collective. Women’s artist group based in Sonoma County. Site-Specific performance art, collaborative shows, publications.
2014
TedX, Sonoma County. Pubic interactive installation and film projection: “Risk or Dream.”
“Dear Things” interview-based public art project and publication on personal objects and corresponding stories.
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
Google, AIR program, 2022
Creative Sonoma, Creative Reopening Grant, 2020-2021
California Arts Council, Artists in Schools Grant, 2018-2019, 2019-2020
Official Selection, Mendocino Film Festival. For "Friends, Food, Land" 2015
Juried Winner, ArtSlant Prize 2013
Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, residency 2010
Bedford Gallery Juror’s Award, Working in Wax exhibition, 2009
California College of the Arts scholarship award
Cum Laude in liberal arts, Vassar College
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Blue Shield of California
salesforce.com
Seattle Paramount Theatre
Woodberry Events, Inc., San Francisco
ADVISORY ROLES/ JURY PANELS
2021- advisor for The Imaginists, Santa Rosa
2017-2019, Wildlands Art Residency, advisor and jury panelist
2017, 2019- jury panel member for “Discovered” award, Sonoma County
TEACHING
2017-present: Lead teaching artist for West Side Elementary
2015- Resident teaching artist, Healdsburg SHED
2008-2010- Founder and lead teacher, Studio Project
PUBLICATIONS
(For list of press on Peptoc, go to Peptoc.net)
San Francisco Magazine, State of the Arts. Jessica Martin: Dispatch. https://digital.modernluxury.com/publication/?m=3609&i=769294&p=64&ver=html5 2022/2023
Beck, John. "A haven for Art." Sonoma Magazine, Jan/Feb 2023.
Rebmann, Daniel, Illuminated Art Installations Brighten Winter Nights in Sonoma County. Sonoma Magazine 2021
Swanson, Charlie: https://bohemian.com/healdsburg-lights-up-with-public-art-project/
Rebman, Dana: https://www.sonomamag.com/illuminated-art-installations-brighten-winter-nights-in-sonoma-county/?gSlide=1
Cheng,DeWitt. “Craftswomanship at Pro Arts.” East Bay Express. October 13, 2010.
Cheng,DeWitt. “Editorial Recommendation, 2d/ 3d.” Visual Art Source. September 2010.
Cheng, DeWitt. “Space Invaders at Traywick Contemporary.” East Bay Express. August 25, 2010.
Brown, Patricia Leigh. “Bay Area Embrace.” Architectural Digest. April, 2010. pp. 106- 111.
Grant, Daniel. Quoted in “The Business of Being an Artist.” P.32 Allworth Press. 2010
Casey, Laura.“SLATE gallery showcases emerging local artists.” July 7, 2009. Contra Costa Times.
Fiset, Alissa. “Editor’s Pick: Bay Area Native Brings New Art Back Home.”
Ascarelli, Bret. “About Face,” The Bohemian, Santa Rosa, June 2006.
Boas, Natasha. “Monochrome,” Domino Magazine, November 2005.
Kinmont, Ben. “Exhibito Chimerica” Antinomian Press, Sebastopol, 2005.