CONNECTION: COLLECTIVE DIRECTORY
Connection is a casual weekly online chat, where artists come together in conversation to support one another’s visibility & growth.
Please support these artists by collecting, sharing, and following along!
If you’re an artist who would like to join the conversation, you can sign up for the Connection Chat here.
Jill Cecil
Jill Cecil is an accomplished artist and educator whose work seamlessly bridges the worlds of visual art and dance. Raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jill discovered her passion for movement and creativity early in life. She earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Art and Dance with a Ballet emphasis from Brigham Young University in 2001. In 2006, she completed a Master of Arts in Dance Education with K-12 certification at New York University. Jill lives and works in New York City. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she is a devoted mother to two young daughters, who inspire her work and creativity every day.
COLLECT & CONNECT:
ETSY Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/dancingjill
Website: www.dancingjill.com
Socials @dancingjill
Email dancingjill@mac.com
Fine Art Illustration by Alexis Rodefer
Alexis Rodefer's work exemplifies the beauty and diversity of the eastern United States through her watercolor illustrations of native flora and fauna. With a particular interest in native birds, their stories and how their lives interconnect with our own.
COLLECT & CONNECT:
Website: www.arodefer.com
Socials: @alexisrodefer
Email: art.arodefer@gmail.com
Teresa Selbee-Baker
Canadian early-career artist Teresa Selbee-Baker lives on Savary Island BC. A figurative painter using photography and oil paint to explore questions she has yet to fully articulate, her work creates visual stories around personal experience, connection, and perspectives on femininity. Selbee-Baker earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Thompson Rivers University in 2006 and has since continued to learn and engage in opportunities.
Through colour, portraiture, and nature, her artwork invites viewers on a journey of discovery and curiosity, fostering deeper connections. Driven by curiosity, her new work examines how generational influences shape women, particularly the tension between societal expectations and personal authenticity.
Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across BC, Chicago, and online, featured in art magazines Artist Talk, Suboart, Art Seen, and Women United, highlighted on CBC Radio’s North by Northwest, and a 2025 Atelier Artist in Residency.
COLLECT & CONNECT:
Website: https://www.teresasbaker.com
Socials: @artworkofteresaselbeebaker
Email: teresa@teresasbaker.com
Sandra Van Blair
American artist Sandra Van Blair (b. 1971) is a self-taught painter working out of her home studio in Sonoma County, California.
Sandra’s practice consists of drawing and painting portraits of creative individuals, mainly musical pioneers from her youth. Part meditation, part nostalgic treasure hunt: choosing her subjects stems from her deep connection to the music.
Sandra finds her reference images by scouring music videos of her current obsession. From there, a group of images is picked through for composition and visual interest. Once tones and colors are digitally manipulated to her liking the painting process can begin.
Sandra paints through her memories, her angst, and her joy. Hers is a process of being present and simultaneously traveling through time. Painting this way highlights her belief that we are all human nesting dolls: an amalgam of our current and previous selves.
When she is not painting Sandra enjoys reading, bird watching, or going to concerts with her husband and two teenage daughters.
COLLECT & CONNECT:
Website: https://www.sandravanblair.com/
Socials: www.instagram.com/sandravanblair
Email: info@sandravanblair.com
Jen Palmer
Jen Palmer was born and raised in Southwestern Pennsylvania and currently resides in Savannah, Georgia, US. She studied foundations at the Columbus College of Art and Design and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art at Seton Hill University, where she also completed graduate coursework in art therapy. She earned a Master of Arts degree in digital photography from the Savannah College of Art & Design.
Informed by research based in therapeutic practice, neuroaesthetics, and social justice, Palmer uses a variety of traditional and new media to create expressions of radical hope.
Palmer identifies as a woman with disability, and is passionate about encouraging other systemically disadvantaged individuals to take up space in the art and technology worlds.
Her work has been featured by various outlets, including Playform, Exactly.AI, Cent, Alternative Press Magazine, and Yahoo! Lifestyle.
COLLECT & CONNECT:
Print Shop: www.jenpalmer.art/print-shop
Website: www.jenpalmer.art
Socials: @jenpalmerart
Email: hello@jenpalmer.art
