Jeanne Marie Tamisiea was born September 11, 1948 in Council Bluffs, Iowa to Dr Francis Xavier and Mary Frances Tamisiea.  Her childhood was idyllic in many ways, being raised in the midwest with a beautiful picket fence around her classic American home in a good neighborhood.  She cultivated many deep friendships, owned a beloved dog named Inky, did exceedingly well in school and was crowned Homecoming Queen in High School.  Every summer her family would pile into the car, her Dad’s cigar smoke soaking the seats, and take long trips to go camping and fishing in Canada or the Rockies, fostering her great love for the natural world. She was raised in a world where medicine dominated her family’s careers. But it was the special quiet hours of creating and painting alone with her Mother that possessed her to pursue a much different path than that of her Father and 3 older brothers. 

She attended Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa and then Drake University in Iowa to earn her BFA in Fine Arts. She then went on to earn an M.F.A. from Michigan State, where she met her future husband Michael Kane.  Together they were assigned to Mandan, North Dakota as Vista Volunteers, where she became integral in the arts programing in schools throughout the state.  The two were involved in several community development programs and fostered lifetime friendships through their years there.  In 1977 Jeanne gave birth to their one and only child, Lyndsay Rose.  Her voice evolved primarily through the use of silkscreens, airbrush and colored pencils- mediums she commonly used to teach in the classrooms. Her artistic themes were heavily influenced by the people, prairielands, her own vegetable garden and the animals around her. 

 In 1987 Jeanne and Michael divorced, she returned to using her maiden name Tamisiea, and was hired as an art professor at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.  It was not long after that she lost her mother, and her daughter entered into adolescence thus inspiring her collection of works entitled “Woman Becoming.”  She also traveled to New Mexico where she witnessed a Native Hopi ritual and returned to create an entire series inspired by the Kachina Masks.  In 1993 Jeanne purchased a property in Rock Island that had a small barn-like structure nestled against Blackhawk State park, which she then expanded with the help of friends and family and converted into her private art studio.  At long last she had her dream space surrounded by nature dedicated solely to the pursuit of her art and nearly every free minute was spent creating. So often she would traipse down the large yard followed by one of her cats with coffee and paintbrushes in hand.  Between her discovery of Oil Pastels and the continuing evolution of computer graphics, (required learning for any fine arts teacher) her subject matter and mediums continued to grow and evolve.

When her daughter left home for college, Jeanne found herself able to look for the next opportunity to learn again.  She obtained an M.A. in Illustration and Design from Syracuse University where her graphics were pushed to grow in even more extraordinary ways deeply influenced by her faculty and fellow students. She returned home to pursue her lifelong goal of illustrating a children’s book, based on a frog who could skat.  Then, the opportunity for her to take a sabbatical took her to Canterbury, England.  It was here that she said she found herself moved to return to and focus on her favorite medium and cultivate her artistic voice in oil paint.  Inspired by this time abroad, Tamisiea created arguably some of her best work, and certainly paintings that excited her and gave her great pride.  The last 2 pieces of which were prophetically entitled “She Held this Heart in Her Hand,” and “She Stopped to Contemplate Her Eventual Passing.”

In 2005, Jeanne began to notice her boundless energy rapidly decline, and was later diagnosed with Giant Cell Hepatitis and eventually Viral Congestive Heart Failure.  Months of physical therapy, she finally underwent emergency surgery to implant a Bi-VAD (ventricular assist device) and was given a delicate but miraculous additional year of life.  She was cared for constantly and lovingly by her Brother Dean, later her daughter, UoIH medical staff, and of course her cats faithfully by her side whenever possible.  She was never without her sketchbook during these months and often doodled the images she saw in her dreams and the images of her nursing staff at University of Iowa Hospital where she spent much of her time.  On July 1, 2006 she suffered a massive subarachnoid stroke and after many tearful goodbyes, on July 4th her family took her off life support.  Independence Day was the day she celebrated the Birthday of each of her beloved pets so it was fitting that she would leave this earth to join them on the same. 

Jeanne pursued life to the fullest. She was an influential member of the North Dakota arts scene, the Quad City Arts, development of the Figge Museum, Professor Emeritus at Blackhawk College, and recipient of the Harley Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts, among many other accolades. She loved being a mother, her cats, playing the piano, gardening, camping with her family and traveling the world.  She sought out adventures like scuba diving, archery, rowing the Mississippi, fly-fishing and playing the cello.  With her radiant smile, quirky mischievous sense of humor, and big golden green eyes she lit up every room she entered, and befriended everyone she met.  Revered by her fellow artists, students, friends and family alike, her laughter and her art made a lasting impression.  Her artwork graces the walls of the North Dakota capitol building, college art departments, and many homes across America. Her passion for experiencing life to its fullest, her endless drive to learn, achieve and improve, her wild imagination, her sense of whimsy and magic was always reflected in her artwork telling the stories of her many adventures.

This collection is currently just scratching the surface of the decades worth of artwork that she produced. Please continue to revisit this site as it is my intention to continue adding from her oeuvre and ensuring that the works of Jeanne Tamisiea Kane are out in the world where they belong.