Watch the video above to hear Jan Serr speak about her show “Summer Dances” at The Museum Of Wisconsin Art On The Lake.
Jan Serr
Acclaimed Wisconsin artist Jan Serr is known for her vibrant use of color, expressive brushwork, and wide range of subject matter. After initially studying music, Serr transferred to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee to pursue visual arts, where she studied with Schomer Lichtner, John Colt, Lawrence Rathsack, and Fred Berman, earning both her B.A. and M.F.A.
Early in her career, Serr was influenced by artists of the West Coast Figurative Movement, including Richard Diebenkorn, Nathan Oliveira, and Wayne Thiebaud. While portraiture and the figure were central to her early work, her subject matter expanded after relocating to rural Canada, where landscapes became an important focus. Interior scenes and dance also appear in her work, reflecting her early interests in music and theatre. Although her paintings range widely in subject, Serr’s work often carries an autobiographical sensibility that parallels her artistic development.
Throughout her career, Serr’s paintings remain unified by her dynamic use of color and energetic brushwork. Bold color contrasts and expressive mark-making bring movement and vitality to her compositions, creating a distinctive visual language across her varied subjects.
In 2010, Serr received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in Art and Design from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Her work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Racine Art Museum, Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, Dow Chemical, Bank of Montreal, Ontario Museum of Art, Shell Oil Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia and many additional collections in both the United States and Canada.
