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Jill Conley
Curator of the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery
Jill Conley is Curator of the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Since joining BBG in 2004, Conley has curated a number of shows that feature contemporary artwork connected to nature, ranging from historical, photographic studies of plants and insects to beautifully abstract pastels and cutting edge video work.
Conley brings a wealth of both gallery experience and artistic talent to the Garden. Prior to joining BBG, Conley curated noteworthy exhibitions at galleries across the country, from the Holy Eightball Gallery in Austin, Texas to the Animation Plus Gallery in Los Angeles, where she exhibited contemporary artists. Conley also managed exhibitions at the Elizabeth Street Gallery in Manhattan.
In addition, Conley has held solo exhibitions of her own artwork in galleries including The Gossip Studio in Los Angeles, The Brewery in L.A., and the Black Cat in Austin, Texas, where she exhibited her large scale figurative works in oil. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, Photography, and Graphic Design from the University of Texas at Austin. She also studied painting at Santa Chiara in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy and the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas.
As Gallery Curator at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Conley seeks out new artists on a regular basis and reviews artist submissions, books gallery shows, coordinates and produces the artists's gallery opening events, and curates exhibitions that relate to nature or reside in the botanical realm. This relation can range from a direct study of plants—such as the macro views of tree bark by French photographer, Cédric Pollet—to a more abstract relation, such as the organic pastel work in soft floral and earthen color palettes of Nancy Storrow or the multi-monitor video landscape work of Megan McLarney.
Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Conley lived in Los Angeles before settling in the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn, where she has lived for seven years.