The Rye Arts Center is thrilled to announce that Jill Parry has been selected as the recipient of our 2025 Visionary Artist Award!

A visionary artist is someone whose work not only inspires but also transforms the artistic landscape, pushing creative boundaries and enriching the community. This award recognizes artists who have made a significant impact—both through their own creative practice and through their dedication to fostering the arts. Jill embodies this spirit through her work as an artist, educator, and curator.

Originally from Wales, Jill studied at Birmingham College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Arts in London. Her artistic journey has taken her across the world—from teaching textile design at the University of Papua New Guinea to running a hand-painted silk studio in London, and later working as a teaching artist in schools and community residencies with ArtsWestchester, where she was honored with the “50 for 50” Award for her
contributions to the arts.

Jill first became involved with The Rye Arts Center when she taught a figure painting class. Since then, she has curated multiple exhibitions, including Figurative Interpretations, Fiber Now – Textile Artists on the Cutting Edge, and Forces of Nature. Most notably, she launched Gallery B, a dedicated space for solo exhibitions that has become a valuable resource for emerging artists, providing them with opportunities for professional development
and greater visibility.

Her own artwork reflects her background in textile design and fiber arts, using paint, printmaking, and layering techniques to create rich, textural surfaces. While she previously focused on figurative painting, she has since embraced abstraction—creating large, colorful, and expressive pieces that always tell a story. Her new work has been widely exhibited in galleries, museums, and public spaces.

To celebrate this well-deserved recognition, we invite you to a special pop-up exhibition of Jill’s paintings
at The Rye Arts Center this May.