Experimenting with new media has been my lifelong passion. It jas led me from traditional materials into titanium, glass, film, video, exrox, computer graphics and projected light. No matter the medium, the quest is the same.

Underling everything I do is the search for the dream within the ordinary. Thus my subject matter is often the sea shore or plants and flowers. I try to identify with the inner nature of the subject and then refine it to its very essence.

All of us were saddened to hear that Jae Carmichael had passed away on November 5, 2005. Jae was Director of Pacific Asia Museum from 1971 to 1977, a noted artist and filmmaker, and a founding member of the Museum community. Jae helped establish the mission of the Museum when it opened in 1971. She said, “this is really the ideal use for this building. It seems to have been designed for what is happening here. I am sure that as time goes on the city and the people will realize we have kind of a special asset with this. Our first year is dedicated to bridging the influence between East and West. It’s timely – we need better understanding between Eastern and Western countries.” Jae Carmichael Jae was a longtime Pasadena resident and a member of the First Families of California. Her grandparents were pioneers to Pasadena and helped name the city. She was a graduate of Westridge School for Girls, and she received her MFA from Claremont and a doctorate in cinematography and art history from USC. Her work is included in the collections of the Oakland Museum, the Long Beach Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Pacific Asia Museum continues to fulfill the early vision established by Jae Carmichael and other founding members of the Museum. We are inspired by her legacy and are grateful for her many years of service to the community.
     - - Joan Marshall, Executive Director, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena CA

March 28-April 15, 2007 Swell: Senior Thesis Exhibition at Mills College produced in memory of Jae Carmichael and was made possible through the generosity of her many friends.

Jane (Jae) Giddings Carmichael
Born: 1925 Hollywood CA, Died: 2005 Altadena CA

At three years old Jae became a world traveler by crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen Mary, something she would do several more times during her lifetime. As she was growing up summers and many other special occasions were spent at Holly Hill House overlooking Avalon on Catalina Island. Her education included Westridge, then onto Mills College and University of Southern California for her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree. During World War II Jane participated in a little known project. She worked with local hospitals where military personnel with sever facial disfigurement from combat were being treated. Jae prepared sketches of the proposed reconstruction of the person's face. She found the work extremely rewarding.

The Fifties found Jae working hard on her Masters of Fine Arts degree from Claremont Graduate School. At the same time her career as an nationally recognized artist was gaining momentum with many solo and group exhibitions. Her teaching career began at Westridge teaching art-related classes.

In the 1960s Jae was very active in the Laguna Beach art scene through the Wooden Horse Gallery. Some of the leading artists from Laguna Beach were represented by the Wooden Horse Gallery including Phil Dike, Andy Wing, Karl Benjamin and many others. Next came a return to Pasadena and the opening of the Pasadena School of Fine Arts with her business partner/educator Joan Carter. At Pasadena School of Fine Arts she assembled a group of leading artists to offer art classes to the public. Jae also used the school for research for her PHD dissertation at USC. Teaching the next generation of artists continued at Pasadena City College where Jae taught art history and beginning and advanced cinema classes and at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. In the late 1970s Jae was awarded a PHD in Communication from the University of Southern California.

Jae was active as an independent film producer from the 70's till 2004. Her films include "Claire Falkenstein, Sculptor", "The Japanese Tea Ceremony", "Tribute to Sofia", "Arbor of Light", "History of the Pasadena Art Alliance" and many more. Several more films were in production at the time of her death.

Jae's artistic activities in the late 1960s/early 1970s included a collaboration with long time friend and artist Pat Cox using large pieces of surplus equipment from the U.S. space program. In the 80s Jae expanded her artistic endeavors by designing stained glass windows for the Judson Studios. She designed the "Radiance Corridor" at Mountain View Mausoleum and stained glass windows for the chapel at Mountain View Cemetery.

Her long relationship with the Pasadena Society of Artists included serving as the President in 1970/71. She was also very involved in the re-opening of the Grace Nicholson Building in Pasadena. The Nicholson Building is the former home of the Pasadena Art Museum. Jae along with many other prominent Pasadena residents including Peg Palmer opened Pacificulture Museum (now Pacific Asia Museum) in the early 1970s.

Jae was always very busy working on her art, working on her volunteer projects, supporting the Giddings Family activities, mentoring young artists and most of all enjoying life to the max. Whenever you were in Jae's circle everything moved at breakneck speed.

Jae never slowed down for anything; she was an extraordinary person and artist. What a privilege to have known her.

Pasadena Society of Artists
2002 April 6-June 16
75th Annual Diamond Jubilee Exhibition,Pasadena Historical Museum, Pasadena CA

Biographic information and images provided by the artist .