Winter 2026 spotlight artist:

jean sanchirico

Each season, the public votes to select our East Bay Open Studios Spotlight Artists. The artwork of these featured artists represents the spirit of East Bay Open Studios and is showcased in our event promotions as a symbol of the creativity and talent within our community.

Winning Artwork:

Gallinas Creek Layers, 2026, Chalk pastel, (unframed size) 20” x 26"

Learn more about Jean at her website or Instagram.

Jean Sanchirico’s Artist Statement:

In essence, nature was the very first form of public art. Our natural surroundings activate all of our senses and in doing so dissolve the stresses of daily life. What I see, smell, touch and listen to inform my visual expression—condensing my feelings and moods into drawings that evoke the simple pure beauty of wilderness. As a landscape artist I have the honor of extending nature’s reach and infusing this sense of wonder and escape into our urban environments.

My intentional soft-edges and broad strokes of chalk pastel invite the viewer to interpret and recall their own personal experiences with nature. Using my fingers to move dense velvety colors, the drawings lead the viewer feel as if they are actually standing immersed in a landscape. The substrate, a fine-toothed sandpaper, silk-screened with earth tones, is revealed through the layers of pastel, creating a mottled texture and cohesive palette.

As public art, my drawings reveal the sensations that are often indescribable and overlooked, allowing the viewer to feel calm in a public setting. My pastels are aptly displayed in high-stress environments such as medical facilities and courthouses in and around the Bay Area. They provide expansion and transformational experiences that can lift viewers from their current state of mind.