Jane Waggoner Deschner grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, moving to Montana in 1977. She earned degrees in geography at the University of Kansas and, later, in art at Montana State University–Billings (BA) and Vermont College of Fine Arts (MFA). Her piece about the Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy was featured in “In Her Hands,” an invitational show at Robert Mann Gallery, Chelsea, NYC, through the summer 2018. “Face Value: Embroidered Found Photographs” was her solo exhibition at the University of Wyoming Art Museum, spring semester, 2015. Two pieces were selected for the fourth Montana Triennial. In the “First Person” department of Surface Design Journal’s winter 2014 issue, she writes about her work and process. She has been featured on numerous blogs including Hand/Eye, American Craft magazine’s Why I Make, House of Mirth, mr x stitch, Accidental Mysteries and Hand Embroidery Network.
She has been awarded residencies/fellowships at Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL; Virginia Center for Creative Arts (including two LEAW Foundation grants), Amherst, VA; Ucross Foundation, Clearmont, WY; The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, CA; Playa, Summer Lake, OR; Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, NM; Surel's Place, Boise, ID; Jentel Foundation, Banner, WY; Kimmell• Harding•Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, NE; and Ragdale Foundation, Chicago, IL. Fall 2010 she was a visiting artist at Red Deer College, Red Deer, Alberta. She returned to The Banff Centre for the Visual Arts Late Winter BAiR Intensive 2015. From May 2008–February 2017 she served as a Governor’s appointee on the Montana Arts Council.
Her work is in the collections of Federal Reserve Banks in Minneapolis, MN, and Helena, MT; University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, WY; Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT; Churchill Arts Council, Fallon, NV; University of Montana; Montana State University–Billings Foundation; Yellowstone Public Radio; Nicolaysen Art Museum, Casper, WY; Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT; and collectors and artists across the US and in South Korea. In conjunction with being an artist, she works as an exhibition installer, graphic designer, photographer, instructor, curator and picture framer.
She has been awarded residencies/fellowships at Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL; Virginia Center for Creative Arts (including two LEAW Foundation grants), Amherst, VA; Ucross Foundation, Clearmont, WY; The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, CA; Playa, Summer Lake, OR; Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, NM; Surel's Place, Boise, ID; Jentel Foundation, Banner, WY; Kimmell• Harding•Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, NE; and Ragdale Foundation, Chicago, IL. Fall 2010 she was a visiting artist at Red Deer College, Red Deer, Alberta. She returned to The Banff Centre for the Visual Arts Late Winter BAiR Intensive 2015. From May 2008–February 2017 she served as a Governor’s appointee on the Montana Arts Council.
Her work is in the collections of Federal Reserve Banks in Minneapolis, MN, and Helena, MT; University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, WY; Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT; Churchill Arts Council, Fallon, NV; University of Montana; Montana State University–Billings Foundation; Yellowstone Public Radio; Nicolaysen Art Museum, Casper, WY; Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT; and collectors and artists across the US and in South Korea. In conjunction with being an artist, she works as an exhibition installer, graphic designer, photographer, instructor, curator and picture framer.