Eleanor Harwood Gallery is pleased to present Janet Jacobs’s second solo show with the gallery, Hope Rising. The exhibition will be on view from Saturday, October 25th, through December 13th, 2025. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, November 1st, from 5-7 pm.
From Janet:
Our world, in all of its tangled difficulties, needs moments – perhaps years – of grace. I believe that the earth offers us a wellspring of goodness. My paintings suggest that we can find healing by basking in the silences and the sounds, the colors and textures, and the changing seasons reflected in the landscape.
I use paint as the language of hope and joy, and light and color are part of my vocabulary. I believe that the earth, while it’s hurting, sends us messages about the potential for something wonderful.
Movement is an important part of my work. I am responding to the earth’s spirit rising as it transitions through seasonal shifts. I’m exploring my own reaction to change in the world and within my life.
My paintings use movement flowing across the canvas as a metaphor for transformative possibilities. Instead of responding with fear when life is difficult, I prefer a more open stance, welcoming change and growth.
I believe we need to do whatever we can to hold our souls aloft. Beyond living with love for family and community, I find solace in painting and in the landscape.
Artist Bio
Janet Jacobs has deep roots in the Bay Area where she has a rich history. After growing up in San Francisco she received a BFA in Drawing and Printmaking from the California College of
the Arts and an MFA in Sculpture and Painting from Mills College. She will be having a solo exhibition at the Holter Museum of Art (Helena, Montana) in August and another at Dominican University of California in the summer of 2028. She is delighted to be exhibiting with the Eleanor Harwood Gallery in January. Place is a vital part of Ms. Jacobs’ work. In painting the nature surrounding her she comes to know it and herself in it. “Repeatedly being in the landscape connects me to place visually, physically, personally and temporally.” In these times of global change it is the artist’s intention to share her belief in the importance of connection to one’s immediate environment where we can find a sense of peace, and a love for holding all that is right here.
We see the artist’s hand in the delightful and energetic marks that lead us through her landscapes. She uses oil paint like watercolor, applying multiple transparent washes like light coming through the thinnest layers of tissue paper. There’s a strong luminous presence that unfolds into a deep space of calm that explores the idea of a clearing – a light filled area of spaciousness in the woods surrounded by luscious growth. The artist is painting the essence of light as it moves through our natural environment, leaving us with a message for healing in our world.
About Eleanor Harwood Gallery
Eleanor Harwood Gallery opened September 2006 in the Mission District and is now located in San Francisco’s premier gallery complex, the Minnesota Street Project. The gallery specializes in work with complex craft and concept, exhibiting painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles and photography by emerging to mid-career artists. The roster includes artists who are represented in major American, European and Asian collections. The gallery actively promotes and encourages career growth for represented artists.
Location
1275 Minnesota Street, Suite 105, San Francisco, CA 94107
Hours
Tuesday-Saturday 11 am-5:00 pm and by appointment
