Working in the media of film, paint and interactive space, Emmy nominated Jill Sharpe is a multifaceted visual storyteller.
As a filmmaker she has created an award winning body of work in the documentary genre, which has been presented internationally at film festivals and broadcast in over 30 countries.
As a painter, Sharpe has had solo shows at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s Education Annex in Santa Fe, Emily Carr House in Victoria and has presented talks at the McMichael Gallery in Ontario on her work.
Sharpe also brings Museum exhibits to sonic life working with prestigious institutions such as the Smithsonian affiliate BioMuseo in Panama (designed by Frank Gehry).
Her latest film “BONE WIND FIRE” about the creative process of Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe and Emily Carr marked her entry into directing drama & animation garnering critical acclaim.
SELECT FILMOGRAPHY
| 2016 | “Robert Lantos: a meta-narrative abridged” (4 mins) | A collage-like celebration where memory, dream and story collide in a flickering state of imagination. Scenes from Lantos’ landmark films are playfully re-purposed to underscore key moments in his motivation to produce films. Commissioned by the NFB in honor of the Governor Generals Awards Lifetime Achievement Recipient in Performing Arts. Museum of Civilization, Ottawa. |
| 2011 | “Bone Wind Fire” (30 mins) | A hybrid drama/animation/doc about the creative process of three painters: Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe & Emily Carr. Funded by the NFB. Emmy Nomination – Best Historical Doc – NATAS NW; Special Presentation – Lincoln Centre in New York. Won Best Canadian Film at FIFA (International Festival of Films on Art in Montreal), Best Short Documentary (Sonoma International Film Festival), Best Short Film (Santa Fe Independent Film Festival), Artistic Innovation Award (Vancouver Women in Film and Television). Invited to over 20 International Film Festivals and screened in Art Galleries in North America and Europe. Aired on PBS. |
| 2007 | “Corporations in the Classroom” (46 minutes) | Investigates the upside and downside of increasing corporate influence on public education in North America. Aired on Global Television’s “Global Currents” series in Canada. DOCSDF Film Festival in Mexico City. |
| 2005 | “Girls Don’t Fight” (46 minutes) | Provocatively explores women’s recent entry into what has long been considered a male domain: the fight rings of sport. Nominated for a Leo Award and Gemini Award: Best Sports Documentary. Aired on CTV in Canada. |
| 2004 | “Weird Sex & Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche” (60 minutes) | A bilingual documentary celebrating Canadian Cinema, showcases 70 films and interviews Canada’s top 21 feature directors. Leo Award nomination for Best Arts documentary. Won the 2nd Audience Choice Award at the Whistler International Film Festival. Aired on The Movie Network, Bravo and Movie Central, Canada. |
| 2002 | “CultureJam: Hijacking Commercial Culture” (57 mins) | Delivers a fascinating rap on the 20th century movement called “Culture Jamming.” Won the Audience Choice Awards at both the Vancouver and Auckland International Film Festivals and was selected for over 35 international festival screens. Nominated for the prestigious Donald Brittain Award for Best Social Issue Documentary, and won the Leo Award for Best Social Issue Documentary & Best Editing. Aired on CBC Newsworld; Vision TV, Canada; and TRIO network, U.S. Two month Exhibition in Bilbao Spain’s contemporary Art Gallery. |
| 1999 | “In the Company of Fear” (52 mins) | Reveals the power of non-violent resistance in the face of state terror, profiling the work of protective accompaniment in Colombia. Nominated Best Political DOC at the Canadian National Hot Docs Awards, 2000; invited to over 20 International Film Festivals including the United Nations Film Festival in San Francisco. Aired on Vision TV. Produced, Written and Developed by Jill Sharpe. Directed by Velcrow Ripper. |
| 1997 | “Healing Beyond a Cure” (25 minutes) | About a woman’s journey through illness to a deeper meaning of life. Sold to ZDF Arte and vision TV. Directed, written and produced by Jill Sharpe. |
| 1994/95 | “Yellow Brick Roads” (13 x 30 min series) | Co-producer/episodic director for Stornoway Productions about offbeat careers in the arts. Won a Gemini, Best Lifestyle Series. Aired on TVO & CBC Newsworld. |
Prior to film Sharpe worked in international marketing in London, Tokyo and Sydney. She also founded the non-profit organization: Youth to Everest in Toronto and ran two environmental expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 90’s. Sharpe has working fluency in French and Spanish and dual EU/Canadian citizenship.
Jill Sharpe is a Canadian based visual artist working in the mediums of paint and film. She began painting in oil at the age of 13 and has been exploring image through the lens of film for nearly 3 decades. As a filmmaker she has created an internationally showcased body of work, which has won several awards (see film bio for full list). As a painter, Sharpe has been fortunate to study under many accomplished artists and has begun to show her work internationally.
In 2001 she embarked on a 3-year painting study in Mexico – joining Galeria 910 under the tutelage of Nicias Aridjis. In 2006 Sharpe traveled to France to study under revered Dutch Painter Jos Vandeven. And in Canada she mentored with Canadian landscape painter Sheri Bakes from 2008 – 2010. In 2012 Sharpe was invited to exhibit her paintings at the Solas Art Festival in Glasgow Scotland. That same year she released her film BONE WIND FIRE about the creative process of three painters (Frida Kahlo, Emily Carr and Georgia O’Keeffe) which was nominated for an Emmy; awarded at the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) and screened at several major art museums including the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London and the Lincoln Centre in New York and
In 2012 Sharpe became interested in combining her film and paint exploration more symbiotically and created a new series of paintings inspired from frames of her film – BONE WIND FIRE. The resulting series was invited for month-long solo shows at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s Education Annex in Santa Fe and at the Emily Carr House in Victoria. In 2013 Sharpe was invited to give a presentation about her work at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection near Toronto. In 2015 she had her first solo commercial show at the Madrona Gallery in Victoria BC.
Sharpe’s paintings are inspired from the intricate beauty she sees in nature and the innate energy hidden from view.
VISUAL ARTS TRAINING
| 1988 | BA ARTS, Honors Role, Glendon College – York University, Toronto |
| 1999 | Atlin School of Art, “Idea & the Creative Process”, Atlin, BC |
| 2001-04 | Galeria 910, painting collective, Oaxaca, Mexico |
| 2005 | Private Classes with BC painter Liliana Kleiner |
| 2005-08 | Emily Carr University, painting Certificate courses (P/T), Vancouver |
| 2006 | Dutch Master Techniques, with Joss Vandeven, Brittany, France |
| 2007 | Primal Painting, with Japanese abstract painter Meera, Ibiza Spain |
| 2008/09/12 | Private mentorship with landscape painter Sheri Bakes, Vancouver |
| 2009 | Studio sessions with portrait painter Jay Snetchko, Vancouver, BC |
| 2013 | BC Arts Council Visual Arts Grant – presentation travel to McMichael Gallery |
GALLERY EXHIBITS – PAINTING
| 2002 | Galeria 910, Group Show, Oaxaca Mexico |
| 2003 | Casa del Angel Galeria, Oaxaca, Mexico – select paintings |
| 2012 | Solas Art Festival, select paintings from Illuminata series, Glasgow Scotland |
| 2012 | Emily Carr House, 2 month Solo Show – “Through Three Worlds”/BONE WIND FIRE painting series, Victoria, BC |
| 2012 | Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s Education Annex, 1 month solo show – BONE WIND FIRE painting series O’Keeffe’s 125th Birthday celebration, Santa Fe, New Mexico -1 month solo show. |
| 2013 | McMichael Gallery, Toronto, ON. (Home Gallery of Group of Seven). Slide Presentation & talk on BONE WIND FIRE painting series. |
| 2013 | AVA Gallery, Lebanon New Hampshire (oldest artist run gallery in United States). Slide presentation & talk on BONE WIND FIRE painting series and the creative process. |
| 2015 | Madrona Gallery, Victoria BC. Solo Show |
GALLERY EXHIBITS – FILM
| CultureJam:
2003 |
Sala Rekalde, Bilbao Spain – “Para Todos los Publicos” – 3 month group show of international artists including Cindy Sherman |
| Bone Wind Fire:
2012 |
Musee des beaux arts, Montreal Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe Sonoma Valley Art Museum, Sonoma, California Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Quebec City Museum of Fine Arts, Boston National Gallery of Art, Washington Le Fesnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains, Tourcoing, France |
| 2013 | Lincoln Centre New York, opening film for Lincoln Centre Film Society’s 35th anniversary film festival tribute to FIFA (International Festival of Films on Art). McMichael Gallery, Kleingburg Ontario AVA Gallery, Lebanon, New Hampshire |
| 2015 | Dulwich Picture Gallery, London |
An evocative storyteller in film, paint and interactive space, Jill Sharpe is well poised to bring her skill set to the Gallery/Museum environment. Emmy nominated Sharpe has 20 years of experience creating award winning audiovisual stories for international audiences.
A versatile thinker and creator, she’s also interested in experimenting with media in gallery environments and developing new technologies for immersive engagement.
In her early 20’s Sharpe worked on the ground level of interpretation as a tour guide. She has led over a thousand hours of guided tours through the streets of New York, Toronto, the Canadian Rockies and the World Expo 86 site in Vancouver. Her first hand experience entertaining and educating visitors through physical environments help Sharpe craft impactful interactive experiences.
Sharpe values real time, real life engagement in physical space and wishes to create compelling ways for people to engage.
PRODUCTIONS CREDITS INCLUDE
Washington National Cathedral
90 minute multi media tour focusing on art and social justice. Washington DC, 2013.
Biomuseo
60 minute tour for new Smithsonian affiliate biodiversity museum designed by Frank Gehry in Panama City (4 languages). Worked in Spanish with curatorial team in Panama, 2014.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s American Campus
60 minute Architectural Walking Tour for Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida – the site of the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world (in progress).
Glacier Skywalk
45 minute natural history tour for Brewster Canada, Jasper National Park Alberta (4 languages), 2013.
Script Design (on-going)
For prominent multi-media client out of New York servicing cultural institutions in the US. (Credits available with signed non-disclosure agreement only), 2015.