WN6

We invited our T Level student team from Winstanley College (on placement with us January – March 2025) to visit Cross Street Arts, where they met with artist Jane to learn about her practice and create an artist profile. Here’s what they created!

Jane Fairhurst is an artist who creates multimedia-based art. Over the years, she has created many pieces using textiles and mixed media. However, now is focussing on painting, specifically oil painting. When asking Jane what art means to her, she said that she could not live without it and had been experimenting with her imagination and creativity from as young as eight-years-old. She says art is like an addiction and finds inspiration everywhere she goes.

When asked who has influenced her art the most, Jane said she could never just pick one artist. She has always been a big fan of Henry Matisse and finds inspiration when doing textiles from the creative likes of Louise Bourgeois and Dorothea Tanning. When having an issue with her work Jane says she researches other painters and artists to get an influx of suggestions and inspiration to incorporate into her art. 

Janes advice for emerging artists is to push yourself to just keep on working. She says to not be discouraged by rejection and instead keep creating. She says it’s important to ‘mingle’ in the art world and ‘find your tribe’ through networking and just simply talking to other artists sharing the same passions that you do. Jane says the art world is a very friendly world and you very easily become welcomed into it.

When talking about the biggest challenge she has faced, Jane said dropping out of art college was probably the toughest. She says that people did not take her seriously due to her not receiving her art diploma (the equivalent of a degree now). She says that not attaining her diploma meant that people were hesitant on giving her exhibitions. However, she feels of more recent times, that outside artists are entirely welcomed into the art community and are taken on board. She has since gone on to achieve an MFA from John Moores Liverpool in 2010.

Jane was an influential person in setting up Cross Street Arts. The charitable organisation- Cross Street Arts- was founded 25 years ago now. Over the years the organisation has grown to be a friendly and welcoming place for artists to connect and create. Cross Street Arts offers support to upcoming artists by providing them with feedback and advice on their work and any opportunities to showcase their creative abilities whether that be showing their work in the gallery or giving them the chance to utilise equipment such as cameras, projectors, printing equipment and any other fantastic pieces the organisation has to offer.

Jane very much loves her art and being a member of the Cross Street Arts Organisation. She is currently working on several projects that she cannot wait to share with the world!