BIOGRAPHY
Olivia Janna Genereaux, MFA
Color is my muse. Poised to capture elusive, ephemeral moments, I took myself to Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1986. I majored in painting and minored in illustration and textile design. In my professional life, I developed an educational philosophy and curriculum, The Art of Play, based on the same philosophy of process I use in my studio practice. In 2014, I received my MFA from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. In my Vermont studio-gallery, Janna’s Gate, I paint and welcome visitors.
CV
Education
2011-2014 MFA, Lesley University College of Art and Design, Art Institute of Boston Thesis: The Art of Play
2005 Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
1986 BFA, Rhode Island School of Design
Awards
2006 Hanover (NH) Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award
Art Fairs
(upcoming) Affordable Art Fair (NYC) (September 16-20, 2026)
(upcoming) Artexpo Chicago (October 8-11, 2026)
(upcoming) Miami Red Dot (December 2-6, 2026)
2026 Hamptons Fine Art Fair (July 9-12, 2026)
2026 Future Fair (NYC) (May 13-16, 2026)
2026 Artexpo NY (April 9-12)
2024 RISD Spring Craft Fair, Providence, RI (May 2024)
Art Shows
(upcoming) Agora Gallery, 530 W 25 St NYC
(upcoming) Mazlish Wright Contemporary, 65B Pearl St, Brooklyn NY
2026 Dreamtimes, Gallery Azur, 157 Bowery, NYC (July 30, 2026)
2026 Chromatic Resonance, The Hyperion Galleries Rockefeller Center
2026 Gallery A.T. 108, 108–110 West 25th Street, NY, NY (April 23, 2026)
2022 Unabashed Joy, Mayor Gallery – Group Show, AVA Gallery, Lebanon,
NH
2019 Lebanon Opera House solo exhibition (February-April), Lebanon, NH
Group Show, AVA Gallery, Lebanon, NH
2013 MFA Group Show, Boston, MA
2011 Stepping Stones, AVA Gallery, Lebanon, NH
Work Experience
2024-present Owner, Janna’s Gate: Studio, Gallery, Store, White River Junction, VT
2026 Artist-in-residence, Canaan Elementary School, Canaan, NH
2021-24 AVA Gallery Teacher – Art of Play
2011 Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (ChaD) Fundraiser – provided an interactive activity
2005-2016 Artist-in-residence Program Coordinator, Crossroads Academy, Lyme, NH
2011-2013 Out of School, Director – Afterschool and snow day programming
2004-2013 Upper Valley Event Center, Summer Days Camp, Director
2008-2010 Open Art Room, Teacher
2004-2010 Upper Valley Presents, Artistic Director
Multimedia
2026 Olivia Janna Genereaux: Where Color Becomes Emotional Memory
Written by Hajra Salinas
Olivia Janna Genereaux: Where Color Becomes Emotional Memory
2022 Janna Art – Creative Collective the process of art making and permission to be your own maker. Produced at the Briggs Opera House, White River Junction, VT. Online at: https://youtu.be/eZXu0DXE3gY?si=rZ87opCxWbYt6iGB
Artist Talks: Olivia Janna Genereaux, “Unabashed Joy.” AVA Gallery, Lebanon, NH, April 8, 2022. Online at: https://youtu.be/ppuweCXDkZA?si=gGpmpNBlGup74lTS
2021 ArtReach with Janna Genereaux: On Abstraction. Produced at AVA Gallery, Lebanon, NH. Online at: https://youtu.be/inZqdO6Z1cM?si=X2VJZ-d_zDdsuwgw
STATEMENT
This series is called “Quiet Conversation”.
What I have learned from difficult conversations is that from discomfort comes discovery.
I paint directly onto raw wood panels using mixed media: dyes that permeate the wood, shellac that seals the layers, and oil pastel to enrich the surface. The unfamiliar painting ground invites me to consider each application of color anew. The individual character of the wood grain remains embedded in each painting’s patina. Through this immersive process I have learned to engage, listen, ask questions, and express alternative points of view.
“Quiet Conversation” is about the power of ideas, dialogue, and the value of discussion. The trace of difficult dialogue remains, a visual representation of persistent curiosity and mastery of an unfamiliar language. The process of creating space for dialogue where there was none is revealed in the essence of each painting.
