Jessa Gilbert

Bio

Jessa grew up in Upstate New York before moving to Vermont to study Art and Art
History at the University of Vermont... and to snowboard. She worked primarily as a
figurative painter and product developer while also competing nationally in freestyle
snowboarding.

She has been commissioned for public murals in addition to collaborating with brands
like YETI, Suunto, Qualtrics, White Claw, Burton Snowboards, Great Big Story, Salomon
Freeski, Stance Socks, Marriott Hotels, Baldface Lodge, La Mer, Mica Heli, Lambrecht
Surfboards, Mountain Equipment Co-Op (MEC), Fox Racing, Trek Bicycles, Terry
Bicycles, the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF), Arts Whistler,
Nelson District Arts Council, and many more projects listed here.

Jessa is currently based out of Squamish, British Columbia where she works as an Artist
and backcountry guide. Here, the union of Art and the outdoors is part of her everyday
life. Jessa’s work have been exhibited internationally, notably in New York, Denver,
California, Montreal, Vermont, Vancouver, Squamish, and Whistler.

Artist Statement :
Jessa's paintings and drawings emerge from her experiences in the backcountry,
blending the creation process with adventure to capture the spirit of exploration during
her time outside. These adventurous artworks also serve as studies for murals, bringing
backcountry adventures back to urban and daily life.

The artworks are about the human experience and temporality of wilderness. They aim
to celebrate play and exploration, and these moments within the wild. These pieces
explore the connectedness between all parts of the adventure - the sky, the trees, our
footprints, etc - through the use of one, single, continuous line to create the foundation
for each piece.

Relocating to BC in 2013 changed her art focus, and she has officially admitted to being
an experiential landscape artist. Her pursuits of art and adventure led her to become a
backcountry guide as well. You can find her at Baldface Lodge in the winter working as
a snowboard guide, or in the mountains, at the beach, or on her bike exploring and
working on the #getoutoftownvibe series.