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Biography

From 1976 to 2002, Jeanne traveled, lived and raised four children overseas with her husband, a foreign service officer with the U. S. State Department. She lived in five African countries and two Eastern European countries. She strove to integrate her interests in the humanities, communication and art history with her life overseas, always looking for opportunities to explore new and often very different cultures and art in the countries where she lived. Her experiences molded her artistic enthusiasm. 

In 1978, Jeanne found the perfect career niche within her overseas life. In this career she could study about and aid other Americans to understand the cultures in which they were living while at the same time work to keep ties with their home country, the United States. As one Ambassador said of her, She was the morale officer

jeanneweaverartist

at the Embassy.  Jeanne developed a career with the U.S. State Department, working within the Office of Personnel as a Community Liaison Officer. She received numerous awards including two Meritorious Honor Awards, and a Superior Honor Award.  In 2001, Jeanne received the Foreign Service Association Worldwide M. Juanita Guess Award for outstanding dedication, energy and imagination in assisting the families of Americans at an overseas post. In addition, she served as editor-in-chief of a weekly ten page newsletter; Director of an American International pre-school; and events photographer to an Ambassador. 

Jeanne received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida Atlantic University (1969), where she studied art and speech communications. She studied oil painting for three years under the direction of realist artist, James Warrick Jones. She worked in a volunteer capacity at the Charles H. Taylor Art Center, Hampton, Virginia in order to learn gallery installation. Jeanne sat on the Board of Directors of Blue Skies Fine Art Gallery of which she also had part ownership. Throughout her life she created curriculum and taught art enrichment classes overseas and in the United States. Today, Jeanne paints on commission at her condo home on the beach in Cocoa Beach, Florida. She is Resident Artist of St. David's by the Sea Episcopal Church, Cocoa Beach, FL; and has created a written and visual  timeline of the history of the church which is permanently installed in the Narthex of the Church. Jeanne also sits on the national board of the Episcopal Church Visual Arts, a virtual art association which features exhibits and and discussions on the visual arts, theology and culture. 

After Jeanne's son, Army 1LT Todd William Weaver was killed in Kandahar, Afghanistan on September 9, 2010, Jeanne turned to her God-given talent to help navigate her new state of being. In one year's time, Jeanne created the series of twenty-one oil paintings, Losing Todd: A Mother's Journey. The paintings have been broadly exhibited. In 2015, the series was produced into a book by the same name with essays by Jeanne and others to include the former Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. The book was published by The Muscarelle Museum of Art and The College of William and Mary. On May 12, 2017, she was presented the distinguished Honorary Alumnae Award from the College of William and Mary for her accomplishments in creating a lasting legacy in memory of her son for the college and our nation. 

In 2012 and 2015, Jeanne was commissioned (accepted gratis) to create the designs for two bronze monuments, permanently installed in the Monument Plaza at the Brevard Veterans Center and Plaza on Merritt Island, Florida. The monuments honor all those who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2018, Jeanne was asked to design a monument to Chaplains for the Brevard Veterans Center Plaza on Merritt Island. This monument will be dedicated on Memorial Day, May 28, 2018. On 9/11, 2021, a Monument to the Fallen was dedicated at the Cape Canaveral National Veterans Cemetery. The monument was created in bronze by American Bronze, Sanford, Florida using Jeanne's design and specifically her painting, Terra Nova. Terra Nova is one of the twenty one oil paintings she created in memory of her son. 

In addition to her published book, Jeanne's articles have appeared in a number of periodicals including TAPS, AAFSW, Global Link, and The Central Florida Episcopalian. Beyond her published book, Jeanne has also created books of art intended for her family to include a number of children's books for her grandchildren and a book of her paintings and drawings on seashells titled, Shells From Many Seas.

 

In 2019, Jeanne collaborated with Evelyn Kruger to create a book about animals for children entitled Animals that come from all Around Our Wonderful World. Published in 2020 with over 45 color illustrations, the editor stated, "The charmingly illustrated book introduces children to animals from around the world. Each animal cleverly represents one letter in the book's title. Engaging, educational and a must-have in every child's library. 

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES 

(PERMANENT)

Cocoa Beach City Hall, Cocoa Beach, Florida

Cocoa Beach Library, Cocoa Beach, Florida

American Embassy, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Division Headquarters, Ft. Campbell, Kentucky

Earl G.Swem Libray, The College of William & Mary (President's Collection), Williamsburg, Virginia

St. David's by the Sea Episcopal Church, Cocoa Beach, Florida

The Episcopal Church Visual Arts

Tragedy Assistance Program, Washington D.C.

Brevard Veteran's Memorial Museum and Plaza, Merritt Island, Florida

Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, Scottsmoor, FL

**In addition, art work is exhibited in public places on a rotating basis by the Brevard Cultural Alliance. 

SOLO EXHIBITS

Shells From Many Seas: Cocoa Beach Library, Cocoa Beach, Florida (2016)

Losing Todd: A Mother's Journey: Muscarelle Museum of Art and College of William and Mary, (2011),Williamsburg, Virginia; New Town Gallery, Williamsburg, Virginia (2011 & 2023); Porcher House, Cocoa, Florida (2013); Open Studio, Hampton, Virginia (2013); Cocoa Beach Library (2013); Honor and Remember, Virginia Beach, Virginia (2013); Central Florida Vterans Memorial Park foundation, Winterpark Civic Center, Winterpark, Florida (2016); TAPS, Arlington, VA (2017)

II/Tec Exposition, Orange County Convention Center, (Dec 2 -6, 2019), Veterans Center and Museum, Merritt Island, FL, (Memorial Day week, 2021), St. Davids by the Sea, (Memorial Day Week 2022), Florida State Capitol,Rotundra, Tallahassee, Fl, (May, 2023)

On The Beach: Art and Antique Gallery, Eau Gallie, Florida (2012)

Bangladesh, An Artist's Cultural Journey: U. S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. (2009)

On Cocoa Beach: Cocoa Beach Library, Cocoa Beach, Florida (2009); Open Studio, Hampton, Virginia (2009)

Paintings of Dhaka: American Embassy, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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