Selected bio – arts + community engagement
Jane Richens is a multidisciplinary visual artist, biodiversity farmer and active community member living on Gringai country in Dungog in regional NSW. Since the 1980s she has been working across sculpture, video, performance, wearable art, photography, print making and creating events that merge science and art. Being a biodiversity farmer is another passion and weaves through her work. Along with her partner Brian Doherty, they are custodians of an Endangered Ecological Community Tabbil Forest (680acre property with a large dry rainforest) and is using art and science to explore human relationships to such environments.
Being an active community member is also important to her expanded arts practice. This has spanned across the arts (including artist run spaces in the 1980s), education, sustainability and the environment. Eight years ago Jane and Brian instigated the Paterson Allyn Williams Science & Ideas Hub and are part of the team organising science, art and ideas-based community engagement activities.
Jane has been practicing as a visual artist and exhibiting since 1984 in both solo and group exhibitions in artist-run-spaces and contemporary art galleries in Brisbane, Sydney and regional towns of Dungog. She was very active in the artist run space scene and arts advocacy in Brisbane in the 1980s – exhibiting and co-organising galleries & events. This activity was represented in a major exhibition at the University of Qld Art Museum 2016 ‘ephemeral traces: Brisbane’s artist-run scene in the 1980s’. Some of the galleries she has exhibited in: ARIs such as That Contemporary Art Space, Brisbane 1986-7; First Draft West, Sydney 1990-96; Gresford exhibition spaces, 2006-10; Dungog by Design, Dungog 2015-17; Gallery 139, Newcastle 2017; Back to Back Gallery, Newcastle 2017. Commercial gallery – Milburn + Arte, Brisbane 1989-90. Contemporary art spaces – Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney 1990; Artspace at Pier4/5 Wharf, Sydney 1991; Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane 1992; University of Qld Art Museum, Brisbane 2016; ‘Liveworks’, Performance Space, Carriageworks, Sydney/online 2021, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney 2023. Artist residency – The Gunyah, North Arm Cove, 2018.
In 2022 Jane was a commissioned artist for ‘Regional Futures’ a NSW state-wide program of creative development and conversations that places artists at the centre of a dialogue exploring a future vision for the place where they live and create. The works from this project were exhibited in 2023 in ‘Artists in Volatile Landscapes’ at the Casula Powerhouse. (https://regionalfutures.net.au/artists/janerichens/) She also created a few works for ‘Liveworks’ 2021 & 2022 ‘Hundreds & Thousands’, Performance Space, Carriageworks. (https://performancespace.com.au/program/hundreds-plus-thousands/)
In her working life Jane has been involved in design, arts advocacy, arts administration, adult education and event organisation. For over 30 year she has had a graphic design business, with partner Brian Doherty, with many arts and local community clients. For over 16 years they have put out the monthly community magazine ‘The Gresford News’. For 7 years she taught graphic design at universities in Sydney and Singapore (Uni of Western Sydney; College of Fine Arts, UNSW; Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore). 20 years ago Jane and Brian purchased a rainforested property in the foothills of the Barrington Tops Wilderness area where they are conserving the forest’s biodiversity. For 7 years she co-ran Dungog Community College organising accredited and lifestyle courses and events. Eight years ago Jane and Brian instigated the Paterson Allyn Williams Science & Ideas Hub and are part of the team organising science and art-based community engagement programs.
Jane has worked at or been an active part of the following arts organisations: Friends of the James Theatre, Dungog (projectionist, committee); Dungog Artisans/Dungog By Design (exhibitor, committee); Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (arts admin); Powerhouse Museum, Sydney (Print Media); National Association for the Visual Arts, Sydney (Artist Coordinator); Museum of Sydney (arts admin); Artworkers Union NSW (committee); Sensible Art Services, Sydney (arts admin & design); Eyeline magazine, Brisbane (arts admin, magazine production); Artworkers Union of NSW, Sydney (committee); Qld Artworkers Alliance, Brisbane (chair & committee); Bureau Art Space, Brisbane (gallery member); That Contemporary Art Space, Brisbane (studio & gallery member); Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane (arts admin); Centre Cinema, Brisbane (team member).
Jane has also been part of Dungog’s sustainability and environmental activities including working with Dungog local Michelle Dado-Millynn on sustainability projects including a film recently on SBS (The Power of Activism) and partnering our science hub with Boomerang Bags; member of Single Use Plastic Free Dungog & Blue Planet Status; member of Live Lightly Dungog; contributor to the Local Growers Market; Gresford Landcare Group; Hunter Farm Forestry Network.